The strange case of Carina Granlund's (Petsmo, Finland) lost Paris mail-art - a masterpiece painstakingly reconstructed

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail-art by IUOMA member Carina Granlund (Petsmo, Finland)

May 30, 2013 - Carina Granlund is an extraordinarily faithful correspondent. Thus I was disheartened yesterday to discover her file in my archives is in a state of disarray.

I found an open envelope containing material from her 2012 visit to Paris, which I cannot recall encountering previously. The material had clearly been pilfered. So I am not entirely sure if I have an accurate accounting of the contents, but I have made every effort to reconstruct and document this masterpiece for you here.

Here is the reverse side of the piece above:

This is a wondrous work of Trashpo. Some friends might recall Jim Leftwich’s original Trashpo compositions are made mostly of packing tape. Carina Granlund has had a fascination with coloured masking tape since I first made her acquaintance. Her talent for working with this material is fully exposed here along with the bonus of one of her trademark black Xs.

Central to the mystery of Carina Granlund's Paris art is this plastic bag, which accompanied the material you see in this blog. Yet the bag contained nothing. This little booklet (below) was also included. The same image appears page after page; it is dated five years earlier. I am not entirely sure it belongs with the other work:

All the material was enclosed in the envelope below. As mentioned, the envelope had been opened already. 

Reverse:

All we can tell you for certain, is that I have done my best to reconstruct, re-assemble and faithfully document this outstanding work by Carina Granlund.

Many thanks to Carina!

[De Villo Sloan]

& I do like the French buildings with the Xs. They work with your marvellous tape Xs, and I thought maybe it was a Fluxus building or you thought it was.

[Carina]

Yes, thanks to Tom C and Marie I'm a big Krazy Kat fan!!

[De Villo Sloan]

Krazy Kat!

Yes, I understand you are all doing a group reading of Krazy Kat comics (?) at "Marie's Mailbox" under the direction of Tom Clark of Berkeley (well, Oakland). 

[Carina]

I think you got it very well reconstructed DVS, thanks. And thank you Svenja!

Loved that house (Dean's neighborhood!) with Xmarked windows, Krazy Kat is a photo of a photo though.

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Svenja, yes, I really like the top photos too. Trying to reconstruct this over time & after it had been opened, I hope I got it all right. 

[Svenja Wahl]

Wow, that's wonderful stuff. I do love the Paris-combination, supergreat! Thanks for sharing, DVS!