RECEIVED: Thx for the Hate Mail-Art + Gems from Nikoltsou (Greece), McAllister (USA), Baer (Germany)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by RCBz (St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA)

 

November 24, 2011 - A look back into my IUOMA blog posts will reveal that I have consistently praised mail-art I have received from RCBz. He certainly does not need my validation with admirers such as Arttower (Germany) and Testower (USA). For me, RCBz is a master of a surrealist/super-realist school that he traces to the West Coast of the U.S.A. I have compared artists like David Stafford (New Mexico) and Mike Dickau (California) to RCBz. Obviously, his aesthetics are not a perfect match (understatement) with my own; still, I admire his brilliance. Here is the reverse side of this recent card I received from him:

 

I do not believe that I or anyone else should make use of the Bully Pulpit IUOMA affords us to grind personal axes. Yet this raises so many issues relevant to mail-artists. I have responded to most of the work RCBz has sent me with blog posts attempting to illuminate his work. That constitutes a "response," I think. Responses might be part of the mail-art ethic. Being "cogent" is not. Have I ever made the claim I am cogent? I can't remember.

 

Maybe this "cogent response" is a reference to the fact that I have never mailed him anything. Are people able to respond to every piece of mail they receive? Tell me how you do it. In the case of RCBz, how could I respond to someone who is so artistically and technically good? That's my problem. I am going to send this guy a shred of a cereal box or DK's shirt? Well, OK, then something like that is going to RCBz as soon as the post office opens. Trust me the same way you'd trust Bank of America. 

 

Serial Fluxus?

 

You might think I value my friendship with Katerina Nikoltsou (Thessaloniki, Greece) for all the incredible stamps she sends me. In truth, my admiration goes much further than that. From Asemics 16 to Trash Books, she is a great force and talent in mail-art. Yet I melted when I recently received these tiny and elegant stamps, displayed on her signature Sandpo:

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Katerina Nikoltsou (Thessaloniki, Greece)

 

I am in awe of people who can make stamps. And stamps made with creativity and wit are a treasure indeed. Mail-artists from everywhere will recognize Fluxus, but you might not completely recognize that Katerina has linked the name to various corporate brands.

 

Most are associated with breakfast cereal and junk food (and I think Coca-Cola is there too): Clear nods to Cerealism and Trashpo. I hope a few of you will remember that Richard Canard (Illinois, USA) accidentally brought Cerealism-Trashpo-Fluxus into a kind of insecure mail-art cartel for the present and strictly for fun. Kat has ingeniously further solidified the bond here. The reverse side is wonderful too:

 

 

The band-aid is particularly poignant because a few months back we saw an outbreak of wound-stitch mail-art inspired by Cheryl Penn (South Africa), and I used band-aids in related work. As ever, Katerina, your mail-art is deeply appreciated!

 

A warm welcome from Berkeley, California

 

Susan Mc Allister is a very new mail-art friend hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA.

 

A great line in a Tom Clark poem reads something like: "Everything of absolutely no interest can always be found in San Franscisco." Great observation in terms of the Naropa and early Langpo era when it was written. There is a lasting value in the irony too since there is the suggestion that something is always going on in the Bay Area. That certainly applies to the worlds of mail-art and visual poetry. The way I see it, you can never have too many friends there so you can catch glimpses of what's going on in that cultural center. And Susan sent this postcard-size piece I like a great deal: 

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Susan McAllister (Berkeley, California, USA)

 

The colors pop on this piece, and I am drawn by the organic quality. I am not at all familiar with Susan's work, but this is a great start. It seems expressionist with, perhaps, some hints in folk art. I believe she is interested in visual poetry. Of course, there is no place like the eternal network to find that. She included a nice note on the reverse side:

 

Many thanks, Susan McAllister, for this first mail-art from you! I look forward to more exchanges!

 

From the Hamburg Hipster

 

Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany) is on a roll, producing instant mail-art classics seemingly on a daily basis. In fact, a fan club has been formed at the IUOMA dedicated to him. I have received a number of wonderful pieces from Erni in recent weeks, my favorites too large to scan. Thus, I am trying to resolve the camera situation again. Hopefully, more on that front later. However, I wanted to make sure to blog this solid German-made piece from Erni. I am sure this is a portrait of the writer Charles Bukowski, whom both Erni and I admire. My Erni Baer collection now includes a growing Beat Generation section:

 

Mail-art by IUOMA member Erni Baer (Hamburg, Germany)

 

As always, flawless collage composition in the great European tradition; and the green strips (intentional or not) add a haptic element to match the grittiness of Bukowski's prose and poetry. The reverse side carries the excellent and found Haptic Werewolf logo:

 

 

We have had many discussions about Erni Baer's influences and inspirations. Grigori Antonin (Minnesota, USA) has produced a very useful chart putting these in perspective:

 

(Image courtesy of Grigori Antonin)

 

As ever, Erni, many thanks! And great work by Grigori too.

 

MAIL-ART PSYCHIC

 

Ray wants to know who mashed the potatoes.

 

"And one of these days these ____ are going to walk all over you."

 

Lumpy.

 

Moon magic alone with the formula, Penny, the giraffe green camisole.

 

Left: fake. Right: authentic.

 

Cherry: pits, pie, custard, pilchard tarts

 

Spit and polish.

 

Richard, Karen says buy a step ladder. Fluxus is the next big thing.

 

Chairman of the Bored, Nancy, JFK's helicopter pad. Concrete but not poetry.

 

No, Doug, not the ferret hutch.

 

 

[De Villo Sloan]

I deeply appreciate the voices of reason here. RCBz is highly respected in mail-art. It's not fair to put him on trial when he's not present.

Let me add some more context. RCBz sent me this about a year ago. IUOMA friends concluded I am the mail-art martyr depicted. The candy bar is a reference to the Erni Baer dog performance. And we all know about monkeys. It's funny. It's really funny, yet....

 

 

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Not knowing RCBz at all, I nevertheless agree with Marie's interpretation. The piece is very funny. At least I hope it is, because I laughed out loud.

[Marie Wintzer]

And the mail art psychic is strangely mute today...

[Marie Wintzer]

Fantastic blog DVS! I don't see RCBz's piece as hate mail though. Not at all. Strange as it seems it looks more like fan mail to me. He is just teasing you with a bit of humor à la RCBz :-)) He was probably only waiting for a response from you, anything. And you just did. It is true that having one's pieces blogged in this way is a fantastic present. Sometimes one forgets or does not realize how much time and effort is put into it.

Wow, Katerina, those stamps!!! :-o Luuuuv them!

(should we start a group "I am also waiting for the Windmills of my Mind"? just kidding...)

[De Villo Sloan]

Yes, Happy Thanksgiving, Kat. I appreciate your comments on mail-art etiquette because, exactly, there are no rules yet something keeps this whole amazing thing working. Those little stamps are the most incredible thing.

 

I didn't mean to start the blog with bad vibes. The work by Katerina, Erni, and Susan is not connected to my etiquette questions. 

 

J