Received: Valentine Mark Herman is Mail-Art's (Southern) French Connection (Sigean, France)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Valentine Mark Herman (Sigean, France)

November 28, 2010 - Valentine Mark Herman is a conceptual artist from Southern France (but apparently by birth and inclination British) who has gained some notoriety for mailing envelopes the recipient is instructed not to open. This "Gg is for Gone" postcard does not fit into the sealed envelope category but is nevertheless very intriguing. Val specializes in stamps, which adds to the appeal of the address side of this piece of mail-art:

Gosh, what a nice way to be introduced to Val's work. And here is as good a place as any to apologize to Val. I once mistook him for a Valerie, a matter of shear ignorance and not doing my homework. I also received an envelope from him (with instructions to open) containing his contribution to Cheryl Penn's ubiquitous "What Alexander Conquered 2010: mail-art book project.

I feel very at home with the staple binding after all the fancy threads.

Did Katerina assemble this? I think she did.

Val is one of the more linear members of the IUOMA.

Always interesting envelopes from Europe.

Thrilled to have received your mail-art Val. Many thanks!

Mail-art word for the day: hegemony (TYTE)

Mail-art color of the day: amber (TYPch)

Mail-art psychic: "You have a pear of shining eyes (ii)." LEARN CHINESE. July. Lucky numbers 40, 34, 52, 51, 22

[De Villo Sloan]

Katerina - the da-daists were children playing with toys.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Me thinks that was how the Dadaist played with words and phrases?...long before the instant internet! Here we are thousands of miles away....up-state New York...South Africa....Japan ...Greece. wow, one day the moon!

[De Villo Sloan]

You're too fast for me, Katerina. "Eye sea you're pear of (ii)s." Working together, we have made it something incomprehensible but elegant.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Eye sea you're pear of (ii)s?

[De Villo Sloan]

"Eye see your pair of shining eyes (ii)." Excellent Katerina.

[cheryl penn]

Thanks Angie - I suppose he's very well known in America - I confess ignorance of Carnac - BUT I'm going to look it up!

[cheryl penn]

Who is the guy in the hat below the lucky numbers??? I hope he didn't win his outfit with those lotto numbers???

[cheryl penn]

I'm glad the monkeys got a show in here!!! He says he lost the original but sent me the files - I have not had a chance to look - but will - will let you know - thank you.

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

was to SEND it to you (that nt, nd, d stuff..it's a Greek thing, don't ask! )

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Cheryl, I can take NO RESPONSIBILITY for your edition of Val's "Alexander", as HE was to sent the original to you from France....let's see if it arrives soon. Maybe I should post a photocopy to you from here? (in Greek, we call such copies of originals ...watches, clothes, purses, art masterpieces..."monkeys"! μαϊμουδες ! I kid you not)