visp-O by Erica Durante (Waldwick, New Jersey, USA)

[De Villo Sloan]

Mail art by IUOMA member Erica Durante (Waldwick, New Jersey, USA)

June 20, 2016 - I have been following fantastic new work by Erica Durante online, so I am thrilled to have received this piece that carries the spirit of her recent productions. This is one of the truly great aspects of contemporary mail art. You can become familiar with an artist’s work in digital form, and you can also receive original pieces through the postal system. In this case, for instance, the “real” piece by Erica Durante (hard copy) has qualities that I do not believe can be captured in the digital format, including the tactile aspect.

I notice how other mail art bloggers, as I do, often post comments something like this: “The art received is far better than a scan can capture.” I think some of the success of Erica Durante’s work is the result of her forming constructs from diverse materials. This piece received, for instance, has far more harmony and unity than the scan can show. The contours and subtle relations of the fragments are deeply revealing. The cursive asemics are of great interest especially. Her work is also distinctly textual (or text-centered). This piece speaks to me most when I look at it as visual poetry that intertwines different systems of representation.

Deepest thanks to Erica!

[Toni Hanner -- tonipoet]

What size is that DVS? Looks like a 3x5 card?