Mail Art News #61: November 1, 2023

 

outgoing envelope (detail), T. Brown, Oct 2023

Are you internalizing all of the endless global conflicts you read about on the news or maybe even see around you everyday? Call 1-900-MAIL-ART to order your World War Infinity on Board! sign today. 

If you're experiencing any delays in the mail, please be advised there was a multi-postal van pile up on Global Highway #99 earlier this week. 

(seen on Facebook)

I am happy to report, though, that Hal Weaver got the envelope I sent and I'm honored that my 5AM, NOT 6 and NOT 7AM is now on display in Latvia. As a mail artist, I can tell people that I'm an international artist and it's true! This little drawing was a reminder to myself, when I changed jobs two years ago, that I was going to have to wake up earlier than usual. 

photo from Hal Weaver

Saw some interesting works on IUOMA and got some interesting things in the mail. I did stumble upon an envelope I thought I'd mailed out multiple months ago to C. Terhune and put it in the mail box for real this time. Outgoing mail has slowed down a lot lately...and November and December will be the busy times at work, and I do have some other interests besides mail art. Gasp! Every mail artist needs a hobby.  

I  U  O  M  A

Awyn, documented by H. Lagache

Tony Mazzocchin, documented by Mikel Untzilla

Cameron Terhune, documented by Sarah Roe

I  N  C  O  M  I  N  G

incoming from Juan Petry

This one from J. Norton gets me thinking and since they have a PO Box, I will not blur out that part of their address. I guess if someone really wanted to find you, they could, but blurring out someone's street address seems correct when posting online.

Anyway, there's some text on the back of the card about facts, fiction, and art imitating life versus life imitating life. Thoughts: Fiction is fine when you want fiction, but when you want truth or non-fiction, then fiction is either a distraction or misleading. But of course there's the idea that fiction can help  people to arrive at some truths about themselves and the world around them. 

Art does not exist outside of life / reality. It exists outside of a human mind and body in whatever form, but also exists inside the neurons where it causes some constellation of effects on the emotions, affecting human behavior. There is a dynamic interplay between art and the rest of life, with art interwoven into existences individual and societal.

Someone painting a still life of a bowl of fruit is art imitating life. Someone seeing that painting on a wall and then arranging their own fruit in a bowl at home, similar to the painting, is life imitating art, but it's all still inside of the framework of life and reality. 

incoming from J. Norton

incoming from J. Norton

Two from Mark Rossmiller, aka Moan Lisa. The first shows some images of a war zone, which got me thinking about war this morning, which in turn led to the idea of the WW∞ on Board! sign above. Thus is the power and glory of mail art. 

incoming from Mark Rossmiller, aka Moan Lisa

incoming from Mark Rossmiller, aka Moan Lisa

The second commemorates the life and recognition of the life of one Carlo Acutis by the Catholic Church. Reminder: I'm not religious. Not that I know of, anyway. 

incoming from Mark Rossmiller, aka Moan Lisa

incoming from Mark Rossmiller, aka Moan Lisa

🌎  ✉️  🌍  ✉️  🌏  ✉️ 

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to email me: mailartnews@gmail.com. I'm also on IUOMA as Mail Art News you want to mail me something. Please do not email me or mail me anything overtly political at this time unless you're a radical centrist. See you in the Infinite Beyond.