ADD & PASS

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Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 21, 2020 at 4:10pm

Good morning. Thanks DeVillo. I’m mail art friends with the NM artist snd I remember well when things were happening. Glad Opal is still alive and well.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on December 21, 2020 at 1:39pm

Also so sorry to be so long-winded. I had really wanted to write an article about the fakes.

I have reservations about naming people in public but Dennis Gergel (I believe that is accurate) has contacted a number of us here, so we've been pulled into this. I didn't realize a number of fake DSF Cult a&ps were circulating.

With any A&P, it's up to you (the recipient) to decide what to do: Circulate or not, contribute to the art or not, document online. It's just a matter of your own ethics & conscience.

There is no money involved, so it would be of no interest to a lawyer if anyone is worried about that. If you are outside the USA, there is not much anyone can do, So please do not worry if you are "holding" a fake DSF A&P or contributed to one.

When I dug into the fake DSF A&Ps I made some inquiries among mail artists on FB. DSF (Michael Kelly) called the fake right away. A woman artist from New Mexico, USA (not an IUOMA-Ning member) identified the fake and said she had been receiving unwanted mail from DG for a long time. A few other women responded as well - but I'm a bit hazy because it was "just another night on the job."

Opal moiety - those have been turning up too. Funny about that as well: Everything isn't about me. BUT! I put out a call for info about a veteran mail artist named Opal L. Nations who is a legend but MIA. Joey Patrickt reported Opal is still alive and living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Great! I love Opal. Then the Opal moiety tidbits start arriving. Strange,

To be honest, I suggested to DSF (via messenger) that I post the fakes online and share the narrative. Then at least we could see what's being discussed. For whatever reason, DSF didn't want the fakes published. The woman artist was adamant they not appear. In truth, you or I can post the A&Ps. I just didn't out of deference to the women & DSF. I sort of wish this had all come out a few months ago,

Thank you for putting up with my rants! DVS

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 21, 2020 at 4:22am

Opal moiety. I got that on one of mine. But I’m sure Gergen wrote that himself. Check postmark. Or Opal doesn’t realize it came from Gergen.

Comment by Susan Weisberg on December 21, 2020 at 3:58am

The one I got had Opal something--I thought it was Misty but may have been Moiety-- and a SF P.O.Box written on two pages.

Comment by Bonniediva on December 21, 2020 at 2:35am

Hey Guys, I get the Gergel "Tampa/St. Pete" postmarked mail pretty often and I toss them right in the recycle bin. He's an idiot because he spends all that money on postage. I don't appreciate anything that does not have a return address. He's a sociopath. His trademark is the dot-boarders made with markers. I've been getting mail from Opal Moiety in San Francisco that has the same dots. Any connection there?

Comment by Susan Weisberg on December 21, 2020 at 1:50am

I'm actually the one who set off this latest thread because I'm a new member and as soon as I signed up I received two batches of Gergen/Gergel stuff. I did add to one and send it to Josh at Mim's suggestion. Thank you all for all the clarification. If he's no longer an active member, he is obviously trolling the site because how else would he know about me?Is there any way to not get more of Gergel's DSF stuff? Or if I do get it I guess I should just consign it to the recycling bin.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on December 21, 2020 at 1:44am

Oh, and DSF was not really pleased when I contacted him (imho) and I had spent all this time putting the blog together.

Despite his persona, DSF is a really good guy with a positive message. I don't know why DG is targeting DSF.

Comment by De Villo Sloan on December 21, 2020 at 1:40am

Hi Mim, yes, and you probably remember back before the DSF fakes. I think he was actually an IUOMA member at one point & was either kicked out or driven off the platform (which is incredibly unusual). There's a bizarre history going back several years. 

Jenn, so sorry you attracted his attention. Gergels are very unusual in the network so I hope it doesn't tarnish your view of mail art.

Mail art is a genre where to an extent you become a public figure or persona. The established figures develop a trusting relationship with their audience. People build relationships over months and years. Again, "bad apples" don't survive long. 

Mah Nu - I think you've come to the right place to get a grasp of how the network functions. The interesting things you are doing, like cassette culture, are genres that thrive in the Eternal Network. So I'm looking forward to seeing more of what you're doing.

Yeah, when I got into this in the late 70s (Lord, I'm old) there was downright pornography, violence, extreme politics & all forms of insanity in the mailbox (along with extraordinary art). The network - after all - was mainline counter culture in the beginning. 

That's changed, of course. And in my decade at IUOMA we've - collectively - dealt with people freaking out over things that have shocked them in the mail. We've talked about it a lot, in fact. Ruud Janssen's concept of "unspoken rules" has worked surprisingly well.

When Ray Johnson was alive he was called in for questioning over some nudity in mail art someone received by accident. I don't remember the story completely but even bunny rabbit Ray was accused of being a pronographer.

Comment by Mim Golub Scalin on December 21, 2020 at 1:20am

You're are correct De Villo Sloan, Gergel is the bad apple for sure. I've been very fortunate not to experience others, even though I have all my information on my page. 

He's not pranking, he's being dishonest. 

Comment by Jenn Miltenberger on December 21, 2020 at 1:19am

Welp... DVS he apparently is still passing fake DSF stuff, I was passed some recently. 

I have a lot of experience with “Gergel” and spoke privately with some of you about it but if you’re curious you can message me directly. 

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