BEST OF MINXUS MAIL BAG: Empress Marie (Wintzer), Carina Granlund, Moan Lisa, Rebecca Guyver, Kerri Pullo, E - Ambassador of Utopia, C. Mehrl Bennett, Dustin "Ray" Hamby, Ana Karina

[De Villo Sloan]

Holism for the MinXus-Lynxus First International Exhibition of Holes by Empress Marie Antonette aka Marie Wintzer (Saitama, Japan)

February 12, 2013 -Many IUOMA friends have sent wonderful mail-art to MinXus-Lynxus. Thank you! Best of MinXus Mail Bag highlights this work, including submissions to the First International Exhibition of Holes. The call is ongoing. If you have not already, please send us your holes!

First International Exhibition of Holes. Mail-art call here:

http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/minxus-lynxus-invites...

The acquisition of new art by Empress Marie and rare MinXus relics dating to the days of her childhood have inspired us to open the Empress Marie Wax Museum & Water Park at the Mink Ranch.

Here is one of the great crown jewels in the new Empress Marie collection: A page bearing handwriting by Empress Marie (or her sister) when she was only seven or eight years old (with authentication note). Here is the shopping list on the reverse side:

These shopping lists are very possibly one of the most rare and important MinXus relics on the planet.

(Above) A very rare, phallus-like visual poem by Empress Marie and acquired by Dark wall for the Empress Marie Wax Museum and Water Park at the Mink Ranch. Here is the reverse side of the work shown in the opening scan:

MinXus stamps and envelope art will also be on permanent exhibit. Make sure to visit Marie's Meal Box to see more of her work and the mail she receives:

http://mariesmailbox.blogspot.com/

Carina Granlund (Petsmo, Finland) pens first MinXus mail-art novel: Gun Rack and Crackers

Gun Rack and Crackers by Carina Granlund (Petsmo, Findland)

Deepest thanks to Carina for Gun Rack and Crackers.

Anti-MinXus Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA) receives autographed Mink Rancher fan photo

Vispo homage to Grigori Antonin, De Villo Sloan and Jean Genet by Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

To obtain the customary autographed Mink Rancher fan pic and MinX Kit, self-proclaimed Anti-MinXus Moan Lisa sent visual poetry material. Some pieces will be included in the official MinXus USA Archives. Other pieces will be used as examples of Anti-MinXus art.

Visual poetry by Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

 

Censored Anti-MinXus mail-art by Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

 

Visual Poetry by Moan Lisa (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

MinXus-Lynxus is always thrilled to receive work from our dear friend Moan Lisa.

Socking revelation from Rebecca Guyver (Suffolk UK) now feet-ured in the International Exhibition of Holes

Mail-art by Rebecca Guyver (Suffolk, UK)

Rebecca Guyver sent this intriguing and most  ingenious contribution to the First International Exhibition of Holes. She stuffed or placed a thick postcard inside a sock, stocking, or “footsie.”  Maybe wrapped – Christo-like – is most precise. Regardless, the sock does represent a hole. Sending the piece through the postal system in this fashion is certainly following the most refined practices of mail-art. Here is the reverse side before the sock/stocking was removed:

Lovely stamps from our most faithful Ambassador in Guivry! And Miss Becca writes: “DEAR DARK WALL A GENUINE HOLE FROM SUFFOLK TOE MADE FROM TOO MUCH DANCIN.”  Here is a another view of this most amazing work:

Hopefully you can clearly see how the sock encases the card, and here is the card revealed:

The unenlightened might say: “But Miss Becca sent you her sock!”

We would reply: “No, Miss Becca sent us her art. We are exceedingly grateful.”

Kerri Pullo (Tucson, Arizona, USA) contributes GASemics originals to MinXus USA Archives

Mail-art by Kerri Pullo (Tucson, Arizona, USA)

Many IUOMA members admire Kerri Pullo's beautiful art and asemics. She is a MinXus-Lynxus regular who was a winner of the “Can YOU Draw the Mink?” contest during Solar Festival 2012.

Kerri Pullo and I have been collaborating on an asemic writing series called "GASemics." She sent MinXus-Lynxus an envelope with material from the beginning of the series. Above is Miss Kerri’s collage that forms the basis of GAsemics #1:

GAsemics #1 – Kerri Pullo & De Villo Sloan collab

Kerri’s collage is a wonderful contribution to the MinXus USA Archives and enables us to document further various aspects of the GAsemics Series. Here is the reverse side of Miss Kerri Pullo’s historic work:

This also makes it possible for us to “reshoot” new variations directly from the original. Here are two postcard-size photos she sent:

While part of a larger work, Kerri Pullo's pieces certainly stand by themselves. Here are the reverse sides:

These provide a glimpse her asemic magic. She experiments with a wide variety of styles, sometimes producing works with paint very much in the tradition of Cy Twombly; yet she also makes more text-oriented pieces of note. Here are some smaller asemics that were included in the envelope:

A bit of found poetry came with it. Here’s the reverse side. We are guessing these can be used as stamps:

The work came in a beautiful, hand-painted envelope:

Many thanks Miss Kerri!

A rare self-portrait of E - Ambassador of Utopia O.T.M. (Guivry, France) + official MinXus stamps

Mail-art by E – Ambassador of Utopia (Guivry, France)

Last year, Empress Marie named E - Ambassador of Utopia and Not Hi Ng (San Pablo, California, USA) to the distinguished Order of the Tangerine Mink.

Our esteemed Ambassador – artist, philosopher and diplomat – has graced the MinXus USA collection with this extraordinary self-portrait (above) combining stamps, ink, and collage.

The Ambassador of Utopia has also applied his endless talents and genius to the design of OFFICIAL MinXus stamps, which we employ in our correspondence:

Here at MinXus USA we are humbled by E’s work, and our own efforts seem like pale reflections for, we believe, he captures the essence of the mink and MinXus:

Here the mink is unmuzzled. We still ponder the sublime message.

On the left is the E portrait stamp. He is currently conducting a call for red and black art and does much work himself within that theme.

The skull is also a persistent theme in his work. And of course a wonderful envelope:

Deepest thanks to our dear friend for these MinXus treasures! Don't miss E's blogs:

http://insomniesetartpostal.blogspot.com/

C. Mehrl Bennett (Columbus, Ohio, USA) sends missive to Dark wall

Mail-art by C. Mehrl Bennett (Columbus, Ohio, USA)

C. Mehrl Bennett is a fav visual poet and artist, so Dark wall was thrilled to receive an envelope from her addressed personally to him.

Among many, many other notable contributions, Miss C. Mehrl has done some stellar collabs that include new-old Mink Ranch friend Ficus strangulensis. If anyone does not know, she is married to John M. Bennett, whom we mention often. He has certainly been an invaluable guide through many adventures ‘long the dusty trail.

Miss C. Mehrl’s choice to send along a lovely textile-referencing work makes us think of our current textile-like work with asemics and concrete poetry. Thanks to flickr, we are able to see her work on a regular basis and share some of ours:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/visual_poetry/pool/with/8353508327/#ph...

Here is her stamp. This is certainly a well-known address in mail-art and vispo:

Many will recognize that address going back to the days of Lost and Found Times, and it remains the headquarters of Luna Bisonte Productions. Miss C. Mehrl’s envelope is certainly in the spirit of the Eternal Network:

And many thanks to Mehrl C. Bennett. We hope the correspondence will continue.

Dustin "Ray" Hamby's aka Dustin de Wind's (Austin, Texas, USA) moving homage to Blaster Al Ackerman - mummified Santa

Santa Claus head mummified with rubber bands by Dustin “Ray” Hamby aka Dustin De Wind (Austin, Texas, USA)

Among many individuals who chose to express their talents through mail-art as established by Ray Johnson, Blaster Al Ackerman is a major figure. His work, notably his fiction, has circulated in the Eternal Network for decades. He has gained a large audience albeit “underground.”

http://www.normals.com/publications.html

 

MinXus-Lynxus was thrilled to receive this piece from Dustin referencing the great Blaster.

Dustin is clearly having fun with this piece, and it took us a while to make sure this was not an authentic Blaster Al piece. He is also responding to the play and freedom of the multiple identity concept as well as Blaster Al’s numerous identities.

http://www.thetruevinerecordshop.com/www/blaster%20interview%20info...

Blaster Al homage mail-art by Dustin Hamby (Austin, Texas, USA)

Well, we know it is Dustin but certainly appreciate his homage to one of the great masters and someone who not only believed in but lived the dream of an alternative culture outside the constraints of societies and institutions.

Many thanks to Dustin de Wind!

Correspondence from our dear friend Ana Karina aka Anna Karenina (St. Augustine, Florida, USA)

Mail-art by Ana Karina (St. Augustine, Florida, USA)

Last May, Ana Karina (aka Anna Karenina) made a smash in the Eternal Network with her painted fashion magazine pages and her pivotal role in the famous MinXus-Lynxus Refrigerator Performances. Our hearts were broken when her correspondence lapsed; however, we completely understand the demands of life sometimes diminish creative production.

All is mended now that we have received this work from her and are satisfied she has not abandoned her artistic pursuits.

What a joy it is to again see the demure yet cautiously flourished signature of our own Anna Karenina, as we once affectionately named her. The polka do envelope is not to be missed either:

And, of course, to the usual suspect:

Our hearts are gladdened, Miss Ana! Now the burden is upon us because we have so much news to share with you we hardly know where to begin. But we shall! Many thanks!

Deepest thanks to all the Tenderfoots and veterans of the Long and Dusty Trail who are so generously sharing their work with MinXus-Lynxus!

[De Villo Sloan]

And Rebecca - our MinXus philosopher - our Sock-rates

[De Villo Sloan]

"Carina, Carina - Dark wall tells me of this book, Gun Rack & Crackers. I think MinXus-Lynxus should publish this book for you. We will make you an offer you can't refuse."

[Rebecca Guyver]

DVS, the antidote to Toxis.

[Carina]

Thanks for all nice (and funny) comments! Have to laugh at my pen skills :))  Would not be a "sensation" without DVS's story though.

[De Villo Sloan]

Thanks for the feedback, Bifidus. I picture you as the target MinXus-Lynxus demographic. You would fit in well on the Mink Ranch.

Carina's Gun Rack and Crackers is simply a sensation! It received a great deal of attention on the M-L blog too. Perhaps M-L will have to negotiate with Carina to release a limited edition printing of Gun Rack and Crackers for all the the admiring fans.

We'll see what we can do.

[Bifidus Jones]

Thanks for making my day, De Villo. The originality of the mail art here is impressive--I am particularly drawn to Carina's book of biographies. When you die, can I have it?

[De Villo Sloan]

I had also meant to include in the blog an appeal to the respected artists here to assist with the creation of exhibits for the Empress Marie Wax Museum & Water Park. This is "My Dream," as they say. And the park will showcase the grocery lists I have obtained that Marie (or her sister) wrote when she was but 7 or 8. These are grocery lists written in French, so they are not exactly Trashpo.

The wax figures will likely not be life size, as I had first planned. More likely they will be modest dioramas chronicling various phases of the French Revolution and especially the Reign of Terror. I have no experience creating wax figures. Does anyone?

A diorama in the Empress Marie Wax Museum and Water Park might depict a scene such as this. Perhaps we could have a diorama contest:

[De Villo Sloan]

DK - a topic worth a blog: Must MinXus accept Trashpo to survive?

Stephanie - Carina Granlund's Gun Rack and Crackers made a big stir down here on the ranch.

The concept of the MinXus novel is revolutionary: Put all the responsibility on the reader. The author provides some characters, a setting, the hint of a plot maybe. It's up to the reader to create the story. No more passive audience! The audience must join the artist in equitable distribution of labour!

Carina did it brilliantly. Mink Rancher provided an introduction to Gun Rack and Crackers, which I will now share:

[DKeys]

Wow-a lot of work went into this blog. What a fantastic collection! ooooing and ahhhing here at the Elgin Mansion

heavy hitters here!

[De Villo Sloan]

Carina - your Gun Rack and Crackers is the first MinXus novel, and I think it's really wonderful. It's great to have the opportunity to share it among giants gathered here. But as MinXus teaches us always to ask: "Where is here?"

Dustin - that you would have chosen MinXus as the place to introduce your mummification techniques. We are truly blessed. And it's great to have an acknowledgement of Blaster Al. You did that so perfectly, I really believed HE had contacted me, until my delusion was burst like a child's grimey soap bubble on the mean streets of Detroit in the summer time. 

E - what can I say? Merci. Beware of gateau aux fruits! Now I get the muzzle thing.

Svenja - It is both a privilege and responsibility being the caretaker of Rebecca's sock. You know, Moan Lisa destroyed some of those pieces and M-L is the only place you can find them. And Moan did receive an autographed Mink Rancher pic.