RECEIVED: Heavy Metal Vispo Mail-Art from Matthew Stolte (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)

Mail-Art by IUOMA member Matthew Stolte (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)

 

January 28, 2011 - To start the second round of our mail-art exchange, Matthew Stolte sent me this postcard-size piece of visual poetry. The use of the term "heavy metal" here is not ironic :) I explain at the end.

 

The first piece he sent was a single-word poem defined by negative space. This piece is more complex and reliant on symmetry with slight variations. Matthew's use of black and white here reminds that the printed text is still dominated by the lack of color. I think it is also a nod to, or shows the influence of, black and white photocopies that were once the primary medium for distributing visual poetry. A gigantic body of work was produced using this medium. This particular "means of production" shaped form and content. Visual poetry is heavily influenced by the changing nuances of technology; and I know Matt Stolte is also doing ground-breaking digital work.

This piece Matthew sent is also strong on texture. It especially makes me think of the contours of metal - an industrial vispo. You can find many pieces by other artists that have these metallic qualities. I wonder if it does not represent the idea of object or haptic poetry: that somehow the piece has life beyond an abstraction on paper. Heavy Metal is a term many associate with music. That reference is not lost here, but it is derived from science: substances listed on the Periodic Table of Elements. William S. Burroughs applied to music and thus an ironically free-floating descriptive term for art. 

 

I am looking forward to more trades with Matt and having more examples of his excellent work.

He has a great blog that has links to some other vispo sources. Don't let the name fool you, it's FDA approved:

http://www.illegitimateprescriptions.blogspot.com

 

 

Views: 251

Tags: Sloan, vispo

Comment

You need to be a member of International Union of Mail-Artists to add comments!

Join International Union of Mail-Artists

Comment by De Villo Sloan on July 17, 2018 at 2:10am

Why does this old blog (7 years!) keep floating to the surface from the primordial ooze?

Does someone have a question? I don't ged it.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on February 2, 2011 at 12:58am

Thanks, I'm Glimmer Boy now. I thought maybe you meant Great Britain. This is not my zoo. It belongs to the people. I could go with the flow here and ask you if it's alright if I put you on speed dial, only I lost my cell like months ago.

Comment by Marie Wintzer on February 1, 2011 at 11:55pm

Rutting season :-))))))

GB = Glimmer Boy

You can be proud of your zoo, it's very entertaining!

Comment by De Villo Sloan on February 1, 2011 at 11:42pm

Hi Marie, it's the usual zoo and I'm the monkey wrangler. Some of the inmates seem to be using the stream as place to find dates for the IUOMA Junior Prom. Whatever, Marie, we have loftier things on our minds than rutting season, a we call it here in the Northeastern USA. Marie, what does GB stand for? I'm getting paranoid. Maybe I do need that blood change. What was thiss blog about? I forgot.

Comment by Marie Wintzer on February 1, 2011 at 10:57pm
Sorry to squat your blog DVS-GB, I had to come back to get my slice of morning hilarity :-)
Comment by cheryl penn on February 1, 2011 at 6:34pm
:-)))) May I say I'm honored.
Comment by De Villo Sloan on February 1, 2011 at 12:13am
DV a legend in your own mind i'm screening your calls MW i left ua message CP-SA i'm putting you on speed dial
Comment by De Villo Sloan on January 31, 2011 at 12:25pm
Dark Wall, if you are going to add comments to IUOMA blogs I post,I hope - in addition to your mail-art networking - you might actually write something about the work everyone else is discussing , in this case Matt Stolte's vispo. I do have a delete option so: "Go ahead punk, make my day." I do apologize for calling you a troll.
Comment by De Villo Sloan on January 31, 2011 at 12:29am
DV - chill glimmer boy respect and con-troll. MW - i'll catch you on the flip. CP-SA - "i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"
Comment by Marie Wintzer on January 31, 2011 at 12:21am
A cute little pet :-)) that makes my Monday morning, Cheryl!

Support

Want to support the IUOMA with a financial gift via PayPal?

The money will be used to keep the IUOMA-platform alive. Current donations keep platform online till 1-july-2024. If you want to donate to get IUOMA-publications into archives and museums please mention this with your donation. It will then be used to send some hardcopy books into museums and archives. You can order books yourself too at the IUOMA-Bookshop. That will sponsor the IUOMA as well.

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

Bewaren

© 2024   Created by Ruud Janssen.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service