Summer days are here in the northern hemisphere, at my specific latitude and longitude, which could mean some seasonal slowing down of mental activity, and thus more minimalist blog posts on my part, but I do aim to keep them going weekly. My incoming mail has reduced to a trickle, which is fine. That gives me some time to get "caught up," a theoretical state of being where one is able to send something to everyone who has sent them something, said to be impossible by the mail art elders.
I'm seeing more perforation and I like it. To be a mail art grandmaster, one doesn't necessarily need a perforation machine, but it does help. I hear whispers that this person has one, that person has one. I ask the intergalactic space lords and space ladies who manage the fortunes of the inhabitants of the universe, "When will I get one?" Their silence can be translated as "You can't hurry the ownership of a perforation machine, you just have to wait." And so wait I will, happily documenting my mail art adventures and observations.
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Blog-o-sphere
Here's a monster of a post from Monster A Go-Go, including several pieces of mail with notes AND a bonus video interview. A must watch for mail art enthusiasts.
[Disclaimer: I do not claim to have shamanic powers. This is not about me. This is a work of fiction, written with the help of ChatGPT. I have made a number of edits for clarity and to keep the story on the desired track. -T. Brown 6/15/2023]
In Memory of Zephyrus
In a sprawling metropolis in Eastern Europe, there dwelled a mail art shaman, known as Zephyrus, who possessed an extraordinary gift. He could peer into the depths of a person's soul simply by examining the artworks they sent him in the mail, blending ancient shamanic practices with the power of the internet.
His apartment, tucked away in the suburbs, served as a sanctuary where Zephyrus communed with the mail artists who sought his counsel. The walls of every room, completely covered with post cards, decorated envelopes, collages, drawings, and text, danced with pulsating colors, reflecting the vividness of the souls he encountered.
With every item received in the mail, Zephyrus connected to the artist's essence, channeling their emotions and experiences by means of some indescribable practice. The more interaction he had with an artist, the deeper the healing that could take place. Even a single unanswered mail brought forth a glimmer of solace, as the act of sharing one's innermost self was in itself a transformative release.
Zephyrus, however, was not infallible. He was but a human vessel for the shamanic energies that coursed through him. Sometimes, the weight of the art and the souls it carried overwhelmed him. In such moments, he retreated deep within himself. The need for self-care was paramount.
Artists who dared to venture beyond the realm of postal communications were met with the greatest opportunity for healing. A visit to Zephyrus' apartment allowed for deeper connections to form. The shared space fostered an atmosphere of profound understanding and trust, where souls intertwined and ancient wounds found respite.
For those courageous enough to stay with him in one of his two guest rooms, the healing was profound. Within the walls of his sanctuary, time lost its meaning as Zephyrus guided them on a journey of self-discovery.
His presence in the mail art network is truly missed. If you have any experiences you would like to share, from having interacted by mail or spent time in-person with Zephyrus, send them to mailartnews@gmail.com. Thank you.
More mail is on the way! Wow, those new stamps sure are neat. Especially the one that says 'Psychedelic Mail'. Be careful, I hear some of the hippies are putting acid on the stamps before you lick em...
Good luck with catching up. It never seems to happen. lol
I feel your pain for the perforation machine. I would gladly donate an organ for one, but these old body parts would not make a fair trade, so there are no takers.
Hey, thanks for posting my YouTube. I wish more mail artists would make videos. I noticed a few have started to, but after a few videos the tumbleweeds start settling in.
I thought I had expressed my thanks for including my blog post here. Hmm. (Or perhaps that was posted elsewhere...on IUOMA?) It was an honor, sir. CHEERS!
drawing by Jimmy Hackney Thomas Brown (TB): Hi Jimmy. Your profile on IUOMA says you've been a mail artist since 2023. How did you learn about mail art? Jimmy Hackney (JH): I was dropping off some art at a friend’s ( Steve O. Black ) house for an upcoming event. We began talking about some of the projects he was working on. Then, he comes to one of his storage bins and asks me, “Have you ever heard of mail art?” I said, “No, what is it?” He pulled out fascinating pieces of art. My mind was completely blown. I could not believe that this kind of thing existed. I asked, “People send you these!!?!” It was like hearing music for the first time. He told me that he was a member of IUOMA and suggested that I join. So, I did. He said, “Find someone to send art to.” “Easier said than done, right?” As it turns out, it was indeed that easy. I picked out an address and let it rip. I can’t remember who the first person was that I sent mail to. I sent out approximately 20 at that ...
Greetings from the Moon from Francis Lammé I just had the idea the other day that I'd like Mail Art News to be a little more like MAD Magazine , so why not eh? You might see more goofy drawings in the future. goofy drawing by T. Brown, FEB 2024 And with that, let us take a look at the incoming mail. from Francis Lammé from Bancks from Jimmy Hackney from Jimmy Hackney from RCBZ Outgoing: I'm going to buckle down and send some mail art to Stephanie Lentz Morrison today. I'm gonna do it! This one will be in there, along with some other stuff I made and some other stuff I didn't make. T. Brown, Feb 2024 Don't forget about Pam's mail art vlog . Book alert! Tentatively A Convenience has released the following publication, full of memories, pictures, and accompanying text (87 pages). Here it is on Amazon . And there's a Baltimore connection. If you've ever lived in Baltimore and maybe you went to MICA or had any artistic leanings, you probably visited...
wuh-pish, wuh-pish , some bizarre North Carolinian inner hellscape collage from Jon Foster , 2023 It's 2024 here on Earth according to the common calendar used by the majority of humans on Earth. Does anybody really know what time it is? It could in fact really be the year 13.7 billion or even 26.7 billion depending on who you ask at NASA about the age of the universe. While that's being worked out in detail, I'm going with the year 2024. Enter the Dragon . I'm happy to report that I have a perforating machine now, a birthday present from Mail Art News media specialist, Ariel Greenwood . Get your own here . It works well enough for my purposes, but there's no precise way to line up exactly where the holes will be punched. You just have to feel it out with your eyes each time. The AI generated intergalactic postage stamps look pretty good. You may have noticed my absence for several weeks. That's because November and December were extra busy this year at my day ...
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More mail is on the way! Wow, those new stamps sure are neat. Especially the one that says 'Psychedelic Mail'. Be careful, I hear some of the hippies are putting acid on the stamps before you lick em...
ReplyDeleteHmm. Thanks for the idea...i mean warning.
DeleteGood luck with catching up. It never seems to happen. lol
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain for the perforation machine. I would gladly donate an organ for one, but these old body parts would not make a fair trade, so there are no takers.
Hey, thanks for posting my YouTube. I wish more mail artists would make videos. I noticed a few have started to, but after a few videos the tumbleweeds start settling in.
I thought I had expressed my thanks for including my blog post here. Hmm. (Or perhaps that was posted elsewhere...on IUOMA?) It was an honor, sir. CHEERS!
ReplyDelete