Received: Cheryl Penn's Harrowing Mail-Art Monkey Ordeal (Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art book pages by IUOMA member Cheryl Penn (South Africa)

November 14, 2010 - The IUOMA has become a virtual zoo these days bursting with cats, dogs, and rabbits - chasing each other into world postal systems. And those mail-art monkeys just won't go away. Cheryl sent me pages from an artist's book she created, has dis-assembled, and is now sending out as mail-art. She supplied information explaining what she's doing:

These pages are yet another example why scans and emails cannot replace mail-art. Earlier in the fall, based mostly on scans I had seen, I suggested to Cheryl her work might reside too much in the realm of the abstract, theoretical, and formalistic. This proves once again just how wrong one can be. For me, these pages draw my complete attention to the fact that a book is an object. One's interaction with it is as much tactile and aural as it is visual. The book is material; written language is material. Bifidus Jones has started a fascinating haptic poetry group here at the IUOMA. I submit this "The World is a Town" section as a unique example of what might be most accurately described as a haptic book, if such a thing can be conceived. There are remarkably different fields one encounters when touching it, ranging from smoothness to contusions. It's interesting to listen to the subtle and different sounds your fingers produce running across the surface. All these interactions - I think - enable us to understand what a book REALLY is, allowing us to transcend complex cultural programing that has purely and simply blinded us and sealed us off from the world. Here's more:

Cheryl Penn uses a piece of metal screen in the top section; the lower section is a photo. I had not made the connection before; but having the original piece, I note a similarity to Karen Champlin's vispo assemblages. In another unfair rant, I once criticized Cheryl for being aesthetic. Wrong again. What do you expect from a Delete-ist? This is meant in a very positive way: This thing looks like a controlled train wreck when you have it in front of you. If anything, it is leaning in the direction of found art. Like action painting, it is a record of the physical movement and emotional expressions of the artist - that's the real "story" this book tells, I think.

Now about the monkeys: I said never again. For this occasion, I am dusting off the old act, as it has new relevance. According to mail-art lore, not long ago a certain mail-artist in the great Midwest section of the USA claimed he had trained monkeys to create mail-art for him. However, he was so disgusted by their habits and behavior that he ejected them unceremoniously to roam in the cold, hard streets of the city. Knowing nothing else but how to make mail-art, the monkeys were left to scavenge and fend for themselves. It was viewed by some as inhumane. This became known as: The Monkey Purge (1). New developments strongly suggest that the Monkey Purge has triggered a wave of unrest among monkeys across the world, particularly concerning mail-art. Cheryl has had several encounters with monkeys lately. She attaches no significance to them. However, I am not entirely convinced. She did include a picture in the envelope, which made the situation more real for me. I include it here as a point of interest. You will see Jellybean the Chincilla (roughly equivalent to what is called a cat in the Northern Hemisphere (or possum in Minnesota). Jellybean is also the South African equivalent to Snooker the Amazing Mail-Art Dog of Wisconsin and is valiantly attempting to fend off a monkey assault as Cheryl, no doubt, attempts to finish a new book assignment for us:

As with all things in the mail-art world - sometimes known for its unique humor - I leave it to you to separate truth from fiction - if such traditional notions apply (but Cheryl's monkey and cat picture is real!). And let us pause to remember other animal legends of mail-art:

And

[Marie Wintzer]

Pharaoh Boss :-))
I will happily take pictures of any haptic stuff I might get, yes. Forget about that scanner...

[cheryl penn]

Dear Pharaoh Boss and Marie,
A comment on the never ending monkey purge:
"He desired one thing only - the adoption of his plan, in accordance with the theory that was the fruit of years of toil. He was ludicrous; he was disagreeable with his sarcasm, but yet he aroused an involuntary feeling of respect from his boundless devotion to an idea". (War and Peace)
Time to take up the cudgels!!

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Marie, I'm so glad you were able to see Cheryl's monkey picture - I had hoped you would. And you know the whole legend back to the beginning with our mutual friend in an unnamed Midwestern state. Cheryl and I might banter, but I'm glad you agree with me about how amazing her work is. And yes, for blogger-documenters like us, the 3-d work presents some challenges. Hey Marie - I know you're also an excellent photographer (unlike me). That might come in handy now that Bifidus has this haptic thing moving.

[Marie Wintzer]

Thanks for the refresher on the Monkey Purge and Co, very useful for people like me who tend to forget what they read somewhere at some point.
I give you this Sloan, scanning haptic art is hell!
Superb mail from Cheryl and great post as usual from you!
(and sorry Jellybean for calling you a cat on the other picture)

[De Villo Sloan]

Tania? Who's Tania? Now I know what you're thinking. 'Did he press delete six times or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum computer, the most powerful computer in the world, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?

[cheryl penn]

Nope, that was Tania's last piece :-)

[De Villo Sloan]

Dear Cheryl, chaos tends to reign on this side of things. I thought the quote was intended for "The Crimsoned Giant." We certainly have had some lively discussions about art, haven't we? Remember to use all caps when YOU'RE YELLING AT ME, so I know for sure. I do think I understand your work far better as a result of this piece. I hope the note saying this is the last one you're sending - well, I hope that's not the case.

[cheryl penn]

Hey Simba's boss - thanks for excellent blog - just to put you under more pressure I think the WHOLE WORLD will start sending their mail for you to blog - you have a gift! Did you notice I sent you The Feather of Maat? Deurer's definition - "Represents truth, justice, morality and balance. It was pharaoh's job to uphold Maat. When a pharaoh died, Maat was lost and the world was flung into chaos, only the coronation of a new pharaoh could restore Maat". I was using it more particularly as the reference of balance - the need to balance aesthetics and "the realm of the abstract, theoretical, and formalistic".