Mail Art News #50: Weekly Review, August 10, 2023

old-timey mail art from 1909 (not by Ray Johnson) 

As I compile this week's review of mail art, as seen from my corner of the mail art universe, I'm listening to Jennie Hinchcliff's podcast Senders Receive. FYI, Jennie has also co-authored a mail art book called Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art (2009), which I am just beginning to take a look at here at the Mail Art News headquarters library. Also looking at Chuck Welch's Eternal Network: A Mail Art Anthology (1995). I'm kind of a slow reader of books, but a pretty quick reader of websites, which is somewhat strange if I think about it. Possibly this has to do with being constantly tested on reading comprehension of books in the local school system. Speaking of local, I was doing an internet search for "mail art" Baltimore and I found one of my works documented on Jayne B. Lyons' blog. This got me thinking...a blog post on Baltimore mail art is now called for, so you can put that on your radar. 

Thomas Brown, 2019

Thomas Brown, 2019

Looking to interact with your local mail art scene? Throw a mail art party. Or if you're looking to interact with a larger mail art scene, do a mail art call. Mailart.it shared the following incoming geometric art from Katerina Mandarik. 

Katerina Mandarik

Katerina Mandarik

mail art call from Mathart.it

Somehow I found this other mail art call, Faces of Jesus from 2012. I'm not religious. Spiritual yes. In my mind, Jesus represents a collective consciousness of the Akashic records, a giant database of experiences, possibly spanning the entire universe that we can tap-into as a resource for personal spiritual benefit and the benefit of all. Far out. 

In that sense, to me, Jesus need not be represented in any particular way, but the traditional way is the bearded 30-something from the Mediterranean / Europe. The Ethiopian Jesus has dark skin. And there's a Korean Jesus. 

 

Here's a funny one from the internet era. It's a meme. 

Anywho, back to the mail art. Here's a fun one from IUOMA. Looks like an envelope and a sound mixing station? Maybe some 1970s furniture or kitchen vibes? Whatever it is, I like it. 

incoming from Tanushree V. documented by Lau Wilmet 

 

A few more form IUOMA that I enjoyed: 

incoming from David Stafford documented by borderlinegrafix 

incoming from Nick Tauro, Jr. documented by Dragan Jukic

incoming from Giovanni Donaudi documented by Mikel Untzilla

Incoming mail: 

incoming from José Nogueira

incoming from Monster A Go-Go

incoming from Richard C.

incoming from Peter Wilson

incoming from Peter Wilson

Outgoing mail: 

Three pieces scheduled for outgoing, by Mail Art News employee of the month, Ariel Greenwood. Definitely deserves a raise. Notice the rubber stamp by Adam R.'s etsy shop that was gifted to Ariel by a friend in the local mail art scene. Small world, ay?

outgoing work by Mail Art News media specialist Ariel Greenwood

outgoing work by Mail Art News media specialist Ariel Greenwood

outgoing work by Mail Art News media specialist Ariel Greenwood

I did send out a handful of envelopes over the course of this week. Here's one I sent to The Netherlands probably last week, as documented by Reina Huges. Thank you for documenting! 

From the Archives: 

from Jac Mail, Oct 2021

It's really cool when people make custom rubber stamps from their own drawings. 

Mail Art News Radar: 

• a look at Baltimore mail art
• possible mail art-related story writing with mailartmagic (not AI generated). What fantastic creatures will show up? And what adventures will they have? It all starts with a letter. 
• you sending an email to mailartnews@gmail.com