Seriously disrupted texts & found material by Alicia Starr (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Alicia Starr (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

January 15, 2014 - Moan Lisa is currently bringing the great state of Iowa in the USA heartland to international attention in the Eternal Network. IUOMA friend Alicia Starr is making equally noteworthy contributions in the same geographic location. What is “happening” in Iowa?

Presented here are two pieces received from Alicia Starr. The work above, spectacular in my view, is language-centered and an innovative approach to “textual disruption”: a favorite pastime of the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poets (I prefer the original spelling from Charles Bernstein’s seminal zine) and thus a practice laden in theory which I will bypass in favor of simply enjoying the work’s visual power. I believe Alicia Starr employed the tape transfer process that I have already praised at length in the work of Jon Foster (USA) and Carina Granlund (Finland). The Fluxus notion of language as material is also present.

Rather than using more conventional approaches such as the cut-up or insertion of words and  phrases into existing text, Alicia Starr uses overlays and letter distortion to create this stunning visual poem. Chance operations are at work here. The ghostly images and silhouettes are also tremendous. I have seen similar works described as asemic. Indeed, the asemic component is certainly present, making this a piece that has it all. And of course the work is uniquely MinXus. Here is a detail scan revealing the effect achieved though the overlay and transfer process:

Do I spy a mink or ermine? Here is the reverse side of the little-larger-than-postcard size piece:

Much earlier, when we were taking a blog hiatus, Alicia Starr also sent us this wonderful mail-art using found materials:

The stark polarities of black & white, the raw qualities of shredding, the suggestion of Trashpo – I believe – work together to make this yet another powerful piece by Alicia Starr. She provided some explanation on the reverse side:

Our deepest thanks go to Alicia Starr for sending this amazing work that so skillfully draws from varied avant techniques!

[De Villo Sloan]

"Clear as an azure sky in summer," NBS, as Alex oft repeated in "A Clockwork Orange."

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Quick clarification: I know Alicia did this (and am in awe), DVS, but was saying I also like the term "seriously disrupted texts."

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Alicia, thanks for providing the basis for a great discussion. Sure, that U. of Iowa collection is fab & extends beyond Fluxus as well.

[Alicia Starr]

Thanks De Villo. Feeling quite honored you wrote this blog.  Wow. I was just playing around with the tape transfers. In terms of the transfer method, it was an accidental discovery. Tried it a few years ago and like you, nothing would stick to the tape. Then the  WSJ Magazine ended up on my desk. Must be the higher quality coated newsprint. No water needed. Just apply tape and remove. 

Also,  you might be interested in this link regarding University of Iowa and its Fluxus collection. http://dsph.uiowa.edu/dhatiowa/node/27

Thanks again De Villo and everyone. 

[DKeys]

really nice-Alicia has a delicate hand and her work has that similar ethereal quality of Carinas.  Beautiful!!

[De Villo Sloan]

Rebecca, Alicia's entropic form breeds more...entropy!

& as the chance operation cosmic harmonies have aligned I have before me a package of Fusepo, thought lost in the recesses of the Overlook Hotel, w/a marvelous catalog. It shall be included in "Toward a conceptual Trashpo," should I somehow manage to complete the project.

[Rebecca Guyver]

Great blog (and comments) and very inspiring work! Hooray IUOMA!

[De Villo Sloan]

That's good news, Moan. All this discussion has got me going back to tape transfers too. Yeah, most of mine didn't work. Sometimes I couldn't get the stuff to adhere. I'll give it another shot too.

NBS - or making the comprehensible incomprehensible - Alicia did it.

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Stunners! And I really like your "seriously disrupted texts," DVS.

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks Claudia.

Moan, I hope you give the tape transfer a try. I have always liked the effects that Jon Foster & Carina Granlund get.

I also learned from Mim Golub Scalin about putting the tape with the torn material in soapy water. The paper disintegrates & images & words adhere to the tape. Here's one I did with magazine pages:

This next one worked better. The overlays on the right are tape transfers:

I know you can do digital overlays but haven't yet figured out how to get the same textures.