Received: A New Direction for Angie Cope's Mail-Art (Port Washington, Wisconsin, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Angie Cope (Port Washington, Wisconsin, USA)

December 12, 2010 - Yesterday Angie Cope reported a snowstorm had struck Wisconsin. Now I am reporting a deluge of mail-art visual poetry has struck my mailbox, and I could not be more pleased. The dynamic duo of Angie and Snooker the Amazing Mail-Art Dog seems to be on hiatus. Did those "Corgis Gone Wild" pics in the Ficus strangeulensis blog come back to bite you, Snooker? Angie has struck out on her own to produce, IMHO, some sensational and beautiful visual poetry. This is a wonderful, postcard-size piece, another testimony to the fact asemics and vispo work well in this format. I like the use of black on the address side:

Angie's vispo is certainly distinctive. At the same time, I see the influence of other IUOMA members working in this area: Karen Champlin (Illinois, USA); Cheryl Penn (Durban, South Africa); and Bifidus Jones (Minnesota, USA) - to name only a few of the most obvious artists whom I know Angie admires. Elements include the large red asemic symbols, stamped text-like background, a painterly use of color, and over-laying. This is just wonderful, Angie. I deeply appreciate that you sent me this work.

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC

I

Note: An IUOMA mail-artist, whose identity I cannot reveal, has mailed me their daily predictions, which I am more than pleased to post. I hope they are more accurate than mine. I knew I was not long for astrology when Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan) politely suggested I delete myself. Please welcome the new Mail-Art psychic:

You are idealistic and romantic so focus on your ideas, the people you love, and how to make the world a better place.

Mail-art Color for the Day: Owive gween

Mail-Art Fashion Consultant: Two or three wrist watches.

Mail-Art Word for the Day: nbsp

[De Villo Sloan]

Yes, I meant olive green, but I did like I love green. I was the former Mail-Art Psychic, Marie. I'm trying not to take it personally. I am going to get help with the fashion consult, but I make the final calls.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Don't be afraid, Angie, this is a great piece! Love the red, really moves, and how dynamic is that all black address side! Snooky lowes da owive gween....we got lots of owives here :-) (we don't wear them...we eat them, of course)

[Marie Wintzer]

My apologies to the previous psychic, I somehow feel responsible for his/her eviction form the team. But I do take the fashion consults very seriously. On Sunday as I walked around in Tokyo wearing two shirts, one on top of the other, and the second one inside out, I got several looks of approval from people who obviously know their fashion. So thank you!

[De Villo Sloan]

I've enjoyed this collaborative interpretation, especially having Angie explain how and why she created it. I've been looking at this and appreciating it more all the time. I don't believe things like this can happen anywhere else but in mail-art. Angie, I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so. We've been friends since last summer, and I always said you could do anything. It was a matter of making choices. Why do you think I asked you to be my friend? :)) Marie, I think that's a pretty astute observation about Angie's piece - it helped me see more. Marie, one Mail-Art Psychic has been dethroned thanks to you. Are you planning on assessing every prediction? I was fortunate to find this new person. Let's just make sure we give this one a chance. Oh, and I am getting serious crap already for Mail-Art Fashion Consultant. Not from anyone in this comment stream. But, you know, I'm not going to back off on this one. People don't have to follow my advice. But they'd be fools not to. Sure, I made a few bad calls. But no more. I am getting serious about this now. Just wait.  

[Marie Wintzer]

That's really cool, the eyelid slash sun is quite genius Angie!

And a good start for your new Mail-Art psychic Sloan. I wonder who that is...

[cheryl penn]

Angie - fantastic! YOU GO GIRL!!!  Its nearly as good as Alexander!  But I'm only saying that because I didn't get this :-) Great new direction for you - you're finding a path - FAB!

[Karen Champlin]

Beautiful piece Angie.  The red asemics pulsate off the page.  I love where you've been heading!