My Beautiful Face for Sale / Buy It Now for $17.99

[jon foster]

Read all about it here, among many other mail-art topics.

https://thejonfoster.blogspot.com/2025/02/my-beautiful-face-for-sal...

[jon foster]

@Richard, well that has always been my motto for things. While I don't want to sell anything (especially not your work that I have a super large collection of) I can't stop anyone else. In past years I've tried to turn this around into more of an engaging response about mail-art, which seems more interesting to me. Of course doing this draws more eyes to his auctions, but oh well. Clearly, he's not making much from this.

@Bradford, that was talked about elsewhere, mostly with Joey P. and John Steineman.  Although I was around at that time, I wasn't clued into things as well, just missed it. Anyway, others mentioned it and I made sure to add in your context to the discussion.

I think I'm going to make a project to draw some eyes to what he's doing, not in the hopes of discouraging him, just to mess with the process. Hold the phone.

[Bradford]

The king of Mail Art sales was Rain Rien Nevermind (Donny Rodgers) who posted absurd eBay listings just for the interplay with potential buyer questions/comments.  I used to participate and bought a few items since they were envelopes penned by Ray Johnson.

On one occasion, I made an inquiry through eBay's "Contact Seller" button in which I posed a question in the unique way he wrote much of his prose.  His reply that became my favorite comment in all of our correspondence with, "This is not Bob Zmuda-ing for Applemacs!".  I still laugh everytime I think about that one.  Beneath all the zaniness was a sharp and creative mind.

As to the actual monetary transactions before PayPal, I would send a physical check or USPS Money Order for his eBay lots.  Usually, it was a simple envelope in the Mail Art tradition, but one time I made one of those "children's books" in which after opening the cover there were three panels that slid out to reveal something.  One of those panels revealed the payment for the lot I had purchased.

I never got to correspond with Ray Johnson, but in keeping with that tradition, I came as close to it as I could ever imagine by correspondence, both tactile and electronic, with Rain Rien.

The present case is possibly another legitimate "Mail Art for Sale" in my opinion.  Given the circumstances, I am open to others so with Foster's face on media for sale, I applaud the effort.  It is certainly more cerebral and legitimate than a duct taped banana on board (which makes me bored).

[Richard Canard]

06.02.25 Dare Jon Foster, ....& of course,there is the long standing cardinal rule "Money & Mail-Art don't mix."---Lon Spiegelman.... along with the simultaneous general understanding regarding Mail-Art that "Anything goes!" & or "Art is anything you can get away with". (from Marshall McLuhan or was it  Warhol ?)  & naturally dependent upon whatever the USPS will tolerate. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan recently sold an actual banana taped to the wall for millions at some art auction house--& as far as I know, Anna Banana was never mentioned.  ......All best to you & your ventures. Sin Celery, Richard Canard