Mail Art News # 83: 10-10-2024
 |
| J. Matevish, 2015 cut to ATC size from 1995/1996 30" x 22" original |
I am really happy to receive the above ATC from Julie Matevish. Why? I don't know...it looks like something I might make if I sat down and received the instructions to do so from some invisible muse. The style speaks one of my languages. The card was # 9 of 64 cuts from the larger original. You can see a low resolution scan of the original below, which Julie was kind enough to print and mail to upon request. To locate the original high resolution scan would require some real searching on Julie's part, and that's too much to ask. Also below is a digital collage I made, using the print of the original as a background (with colors altered). The text is a reminder to anyone about all of the experiences, "good" and / or "bad" that they've been through, are going through now, and could possibly go through in the future.
Also included is a US postage stamp of famous slave owner Johns Hopkins.
 |
| incoming from J. Matevish |
 |
| incoming from J. Matevish |
The envelope from nonlocal variable with Celebrate Imperialist Fascism artistamp showed up on a rainy day and the new neighbor, who appears to have a habit of not picking up the mail from the floor, is also suspected of stepping on the envelope and leaving a shoe print, traces of which you may be able to see on this detail of the envelope.
Totalitarianism is the more accurate scare word for today's USA, but ooops I don't want to get too far into politics here. Overtly political mail art, so full of passion and full of hope that others will agree 100% with the specifics of the message, tend to get on my nerves. Art in general and mail art may from time to time include blatant political messaging, but I'm more here for the ideas, the imaginativeness.
As a different example, receiving mail art from someone in another country instructing me to vote for their preferred candidate in the upcoming US presidential election is strange. I'm done with voting for now. I don't believe in it currently. I could say so much more. I typed more, but then erased it. This is a general mail art blog, not heavy on the politics.
Question for the slogan in the above image: "What if the books themselves contain evil messaging?"
Thoughts on the quote below: It's human nature to want control over those things...things that are beyond the power of our will, but then you might come back to the serenity prayer:
Space Lords and Space Ladies, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can [for better], and the wisdom to know the difference.
Space Lords and Space Ladies, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can [for better], and the wisdom to know the difference.
Is there any fan fiction out there about Richard Canard? I hope there is.
 |
| incoming from R. Canard |
 |
| incoming from Katerina Nikoltsou |
 |
| posted by Diana Hale on Instagram |
 |
| t. brown, outgoing, October 2024 |
 |
| t. brown, outgoing, October 2024 |
And finally, sadly, you just don't see this type of "insane rambling" in today's mail art community. Was the man really this nutso in real life? Doubtful. This was probably a postal persona to come across as more creative and crazy. I never met the man though, so my mail artist diagnosis is mere speculation. I do see an obituary for a Professor Richard Olson in Baltimore, but there's no way for me to tell if this was the same person. Maybe someone from the 1980s mail art scene has a photo of him.
 |
| 1982 letter from Richard Olson, collection of Lomholt Mail Art Archive |
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting.