RECEIVED: Stephanie Blake's Mail-Art IQ Test Series (Huntsville, Alabama, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Stephanie Blake (Huntsville, Alabama, USA)

 

April 18, 2011 - Stephanie Blake sent me a sewn, mail-art collage. A dozen different images are juxtaposed on this postcard size work and the same amount on the other side. She creates a very precise structure based on squares and rectangles, as opposed to more fragmented and organic styles.

 

The envelope mentions the I.Q. (Intelligence Quotient) Test. I've seen other similar pieces by Stephanie posted here at the IUOMA. So I assume this is a series that might have a concept guiding it, or maybe not. I'm not a big fan of standardized tests anyway.

 

What I like especially about this series Stephanie is doing is the numerous possibilities for creating meaning by focusing on pairings of the images. In the piece above, for instance, in the upper right hand corner, is the image of a woman's face beside the depiction of a skull, which can spark various thoughtful meditations in the mind of the recipient on themes of life, death, and art. In other cases, the associations are much more challenging.  In the center, a bicycle image is paired with a piece of decorated fabric or quilting. This calls for some creativity and involvement from the recipient. What connections can be made? Here is the other side:

 

Many more possibilities. I also like Stephanie's choice to use thread and sew the piece together. I think it adds beauty to the mail-art as well as a haptic aspect, and I'm very please to have this. Stephanie also makes great use of the envelope:

 

 

And a nice nod to the IUOMA to pass through the postal system, along with the I.Q. Test moniker mentioned previously:

 

 

Thank you so much for the mail-art Stephanie! It is a pleasure indeed to have a friend from Alabama. 

[Bifidus Jones]

barbaric yawp for sure

[De Villo Sloan]

"Are we not men? We are Devo." Maybe a line from Robert Lowell taken via Milton's "Paradise Lost" is more appropriate: "I myself am hell." BTW this island stuff goes back to "Robinson Crusoe." Don't forget Verne's "Mysterious Island" about the same time. Yes, yes, "Roll up for the mystery tour..."

[cheryl penn]

"Not to run on all-Fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men?"

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Bifidus, I consulted your blog on SB for precedents. Kinda surreal, definitely. And lacking da da dissonance.

 

Cheryl, you are still thinking about that incredible haptic piece with razor blades you wowed us with. Comparing your piece to Stephanie's is like comparing "The Island of Dr. Moreau" to "Gilligan's Island" - two very different versions of hell

[Bifidus Jones]

her snippets of reality turn the exhibit-like mail art into something slightly surreal, dont you think? great blog

[De Villo Sloan]

I know what you mean, but the images are fairly protected. Notice how they're all centered and composed. I guess it's like a quilt or something, which is a fine tradition.

[cheryl penn]

Great blog De Villo for great work.  Stitching, sewing together whilst at the same time perforating the IQ - linking images whilst harming them - interesting :-)