Mail Art News # 67: Jimmy Hackney
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| 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 time. However, I do remember the first mail that I received. It was from the Sticker Dude himself, Joel Cohen!
From that point, I was hooked! I had to know more about it and how to get more involved! I have been immersing myself in it ever since.
TB: That's a great intro-to-mail-art story. How would you describe your style? and your creative processes?
JH: Hmm- my style. That’s a good question. With mail art, I am trying to explore many different ways. One of the things I love about mail art is the freedom and ability to do many things.
I’ve heard people say my style reminds them of Basquiat - which is a huge influence for me. I think the category most frequently used recently is outsider art. That is actually perfectly fitting because I tend to be drawn towards many outsider artists.
If I would have to describe my style- I would say put pop, graffiti, outsider, and dada in a blender and whaaa- laaaa.
My creative process is - I look at a lot of art. I try to find the things that catch my eye and take something from that. It’s never with the intention of copying the work, but to pull something from it and put my own twist to it. I may be drawn to a little section of someone’s piece and I may make that the focal point of my piece, but again in my own interpretation. I have been doing this (creating art) for so long now that I just do it. I barely remember art not being in my life. So the process for me is to look at a lot of work from other artists and find inspiration somewhere along the way.
TB: I've found the following links to your social media profiles. Any other links you would like to include? Where's the best place for readers to see your art (and where to see examples of your mail art?)
Formatting
I, too, have looked at a lot of art over the years! Museums, galleries, advertising, mail art, old cartoons, dreams...and there are hundreds of millions of artworks online in all the various media with more added daily, so yes all of the techniques and products seem to get in-putted and transformed by whatever creative machines and processes I have inside of me. Whatever my style is, as it has evolved and continues to evolve, I don't think it's commercial, unless I'm making a fake commercial-like post for social media. Be on the lookout for exciting new products from Brown Mega-"corporation" (not a real corporation in the legal sense of the word). I think I'm legally obligated to say that. Speaking of outsider art, one of my dream jobs is to be a resident artist at the Art Brut Center Gugging. Also, note to self: look further into the Prinzhorn Collection.
What are your thoughts so far about the mail art community?
JH: I probably update most frequently on FB.
But all are good.
The next question you asked about the mail art community.
Wow! I have been blown away by the people interaction. People have been so generous with sending me pieces of art. I have received personal notes and messages from the current mail art pioneers and rockstars. Yourself included. Names that come to mind are Chuck Welch, Jon Held, Jr., Steve Random, Joel Cohen, and so on.
A few that come to mind that have been extremely generous with their time and feedback are Adam Roussopoulos, Jon Foster, Reid Wood, and yourself.
To reiterate my opinion, the mail art community has been better than I could have imagined.
TB: Thank you. Flattery will get you everywhere. Surprisingly, though, even after ten plus years of mail art, I'm not a big name. Enough about me though!
Let's talk about your collages, starting with this one. Tell me about the making of this one? Does it have an intended meaning or does it just look good?
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
JH: That’s the cool thing- you don’t have to be a big name in mail art. There’s something really different about it. Mail art is not like the traditional art world and that’s one of the things I love about it. When I receive a piece of mail art, I really take time and observe it. I think about what all it took for this envelope to get to me. With that, every piece of art that I receive becomes important to me. That artist becomes “famous” to me.
This piece doesn’t necessarily have a direct meaning. What I mean is, I want the viewer to come up with their own interpretation of what it means. What it means to me or how I see it may not be what you see. My goal is to evoke some thoughts or a feeling.
With the piece, my goal was to leave the wording abstract, play with color in contrast to no color, and leave mystery to what you see in the color.
Is it a representation of how the people feel inside? Are they trapped in a box? Is the color a portal into another world, a brighter world, etc? Is that a memory for them? Or is it a juxtaposition of progress and privilege (in the color) compared to a minimal, maybe impoverished, or survival lifestyle in the sepia tone? Or does it mean none of that and just look cool?
If the images and art evoke a response or a feeling or simply catches their eye, then I have done my job as an artist.
TB: I'm a fan of collages. How long have you been making them? Do you have a stash of old magazines that you use for collages?
JH: That’s funny you that you ask that. I was out today on the hunt for magazines, books, and other printed material. It’s becoming a lot easier for me to spot the type of images that I am looking for. I love old storybooks that have illustrations. They have an aged look to the pages that you just can’t find in the newer stuff. I also like old Hollywood images- like Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx brothers. I am on the hunt for 1950’s – 60’s advertising or logos. Visually I know what I want or what works for me.
I have always had somewhat of an interest in collages. I would make collage covers for my schoolbooks and folders. I was constantly drawing on stuff. I used to be heavily into graffiti and I would fill up black books. I even made little zines that were collaged copies of my work and other things I added. It was real DIY. I have always had fun making them. Now a local gallery (shout out to 517 Gallery) has taken notice of my collage work so I am really excited to see what the future holds.
When I was a teenager, I essentially collaged my walls with my favorite bands, artwork, or anything else that looked cool to me. Responding to your question, it makes me see how much I really am drawn to collage art. I started following a lot of collage artists and I get inspired daily.
Let me turn some questions back to you. What do you see when you look at my work? How would you describe it? Does it fall into a category? Does it remind you of other work you have seen? Are there any artists I should check out based on what you see from mine?
TB: Hold on. I have to get my collage-viewing helmet on.
When I first saw your collages, I thought "These were made by someone who has a real feel for composition." and "These remind me vaguely of art history somehow." I see a blend of the past with the technology of the present day (QR code, barcode). Bits of magazines. And the ever-presence of commercials / advertisements.
George Washington saying "the fine print" makes me want to imagine further. What is he talking about? Is he telling the comic strip characters to read the fine print? Perhaps social commentary is hinted at. Or it could be a celebration of all the fine print in newspapers and magazines over the decades, and the printing industry in general.
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
A smiling Harry Truman takes me back to American victory in WWII. And what did we get for it, 70 years later? A discount store in every strip mall with ever increasing prices, but with wages lagging behind. US industrial might, hollowed out. Big Brother. Authoritarian government. Vote with your wallet!
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
Great gift for any occasion: A glamorous woman reclining in the ruins. A commercial solution is offered. Call or scan the QR code for more information. It is my opinion that the US is currently a nation in decline. Yet...there's still plenty of shopping to do!
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
Charlie Chaplin standing next to a QR code, gazing at the nun(?), who is holding a boy...the composition is busy but it works. I don't get a lot of meaning from this, other than kind of an info-landscape in the mind...scan QR code for more of this feeling or memory. Identity. Time travel? Male and female archetypes.
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
And then finally "Join over 400,000 Satisfied Customers" combines images of the past with futuristic fashion commerce or some other futuristic service. Again vague solutions are offered by some unknown company. Love it!
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| collage by Jimmy Hackney |
Are you wowed? The collage-viewing helmet is powerful.
I'll be honest, I am having a difficult time remembering the names of any collagists. I can see fragments of collages in my mental art database (MAD), but no names are coming to mind at this time.
Check out the work of Jimmy Hackney. Have you ever met yourself? If so, where and when? Where in your mind/body do you meet yourself?
I'm going to guess that I meet myself at various locations in the mind/body where there are or have been any kinds of feelings or sensations. Strong feelings? Intense meeting of the self. What about the endless sea of the subconscious? I digress.
Maybe there's a pinch of Kurt Schwitters-esque-ness in your collages? At any rate his name came to mind.
Back to mail art, what kinds of mail art do you like most to see in your in-box? What's your favorite thing that you've mailed so far?
JH: That’s a very thoughtful response and excellent dissection of the pieces. Thank you so much for that. So instead of replying with what type of mail art do I like to receive - I’m going to say who I get excited to see in the mailbox because that leads to the type of mail art that I like to receive! If that makes sense.
For clarification, I love any and all mail art, so if you are reading this, send me art! P.O. Box 285, Calera, OK 74730. Ok sorry for the shameless plug there! Let’s see - I love receiving work from Reid Wood. He sent me a whole little book of collages which in turn leads me to the favorite thing I have sent so far. I also sent him a collage book (based on being inspired by his work). Crackerjack sent me a piece of my art back with his additions to it! That’s pretty amazing!
And Sticker Dude always sends the goods! But I also love Paul Keene’s work. I sent C. Merhl Bennett the backside of a ramen noodles box and then she sent me the back side of a crackers box. See I told you I love all of it!
TB: All right, let's talk about drawing.
JH: Drawing is my first love. It’s been my whole life as far back first or second grade. I remember having drawing contests in class…. But not like first prize or anything. We would see who would do the most creative drawing. We would draw monster trucks and we would see who could do the wildest thing to it.
I also remember checking out “how to draw” books from the library. They would have Halloween monsters, crazy characters, or other cool stuff. I miss those books. Haha. Back then it was so free and pure. You could make really creative things and you would be applauded for you creativity. I think you lose that the further you go in school. Like it’s not cool to be different or creative or something. In high school, I took all the art that I could. In college, I took a live model drawings, still life, and so on.
I’ve always had art and drawing to fall back on but truth be told - I lost myself for a few years. I started worrying about what others thought and I went along seeking approval from others. I actually regained that back a few years ago. I filled up sketchbooks and made big paintings. It was freeing. Drawing never left me.
One of my favorite things to do is get lost in a drawing. I could spend hours in my sketchbook and it would be like I was submersing in my own world.
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| Jimmy Hackney |
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| Jimmy Hackney |
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| Jimmy Hackney |
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| Jimmy Hackney |
TB: And what is your position on using rubber stamps in mail art? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Indifferent?
JH: I love rubber stamps. I want to learn to make some of my own. However I have come across some that I have added to some of my most recent mail art. Joey Patrickt was kind enough to send me a “three cheers” stamp!
I also love the artistamp sheets that people make as well- so I would say I’m a fan of rubber stamps and stamp sheets too. I’m definitely curious about the whole process!
TB: Based on your experiences so far, what advice would you give to someone who's thinking of getting into mail art?
JH: I actually had a friend who is “not an artist” reach out to me just yesterday and said “this mail art thing you keep posting is really cool. I wish I could do something like that!”
I said “you can! It’s so easy and fun!” I told him to give me his mailing address and I would send him something. I told him that if he felt inclined to send me something back, great! If not, that’s totally cool too.
So just do it. Join IUOMA and pick out someone to send to. All of those people on there are receptive to sending and receiving mail art. It makes it that much easier. Even if you are unsure if you are an artist, send something anyway. Somedays I don’t feel like an artist and then I wind up making some of my favorite art. When I don’t take it so seriously is when the fun comes in. Just don’t take it or yourself seriously.
Sometimes you may just receive a ramen noodles label from me. lol. It’s dada. It’s pop. It’s outsider. Best of all - it’s a chance to release the creative spirit within you.
TB: Are there any other topics you would like to discuss?
JH: What about the future of mail art? Is this sustainable?
I think it is. I think that there are some real needle movers that are pushing mail art forward. With the whole world going electronic, digital, and AI. There is something magical about holding something in your hands that they created. It’s a million times more meaningful than pressing the like button on a picture of someone’s work. Don’t get me wrong- there is a place for that too. It’s just that there is something about mail art that you just can’t get from the internet. It’s like the difference between an actual strawberry and strawberry flavored. Does that make sense? One is real and natural, organic even. The other has an artificial component to it.
TB: I appreciate the tangible nature of mail art. It was somewhere else. Someone else made it, but now it's here and I can hold it in my hands and look at it up-close from different angles. I can print an image from the internet if I really want it for a wall decoration in my apartment, and I have done that. I make and enjoy digital art, but a digital image printed lacks objectness. If I take a piece of mail art to work and show a co-worker, the art leaps out at them, more than being just another image on the internet. One thing that's cool about mail art: there's tangible art being exchanged AND there's an online community.
Are there environmental impacts of mail art? Probably minimal. It might create waste. It might use fuel to transport. I don't think about the possible environmental or natural resource problems too much. I do grumble about postage which is a real limiting factor when it comes to me deciding to send more mail or not. What's the cut-off point for me...how much will the cost of postage go up, relative to everything else? Do I want to spend a dollar to mail one envelope? The cost of postage, plus the instant communications allowed by the internet are the two main things that affect the future of mail art (and the future of the postal system itself). Will there be enough newcomers to keep the network alive? As long as there are at least two mail artists on Earth and they are sending mail to each other, then mail art remains alive.
What needs were met by mail art before the invention of the internet? Self-promotion, promoting the works of others, getting attention for being creative, corresponding with others, networking, being creative with others, expression. The internet provides people with opportunities to do all of that, but the internet cannot always provide a person with something they can hold in their hands.
JH: Well stated. I agree with everything you said.
TB: What is art?
JH: Man - that’s a great question. What is art to me? Art is an obsession. Art is how your eye, brain, and hand see the world. It is a reaction to the current state of the world.
TB: Yes, "What is art?" is one of the top ten heaviest questions on the planet in the history of humankind. And you've answered the question and you've answered the call of the universe to be an artist.
I look forward to seeing your creations. Thanks for doing this interview Jimmy. I have to go now because I finally found a replacement for the part that was damaged when my spaceship crash-landed on Earth.
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| from Sally Wassink to Jimmy Hackney, 2024 |
Outro song suggestions from J. J. Hack:
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