Hanner Postcard Swap: Sally

Sally lives in Scotland. We live in Suffolk. In both places we are still in a kind of lockdown (although Nicola has a more research -based approach, for sure)! Even so, I suspect in Banchory, Kincardinshire, Scotland, they are on their bikes too. The roads have been so much quieter and during the height of the lockdown I think, around here, there were more bikes than cars! This card will evoke this peculiar time and the timelessness of it all.  And as a postscript, who knew I'd swap with someone whose dd happened to work at RAF Wattisham - a stone's throw from Naland Farm! Thank you!

The Unleashed TheARTre - Berlin

Not sure if this is mail art  'damaged' in transit or a collage. As far as I'm concerned, red is the perfect colour to arrive from Berlin! I believe this is my first mail art from E. Janke and I look forward to thinking something up for this mail art project by October 2020, if I can! Many thanks.

From typewriter to mail art a journey with letters - from Robin

It's always a delight to receive mail, but getting something from someone you don't know for the first time is a special kind of exciting. Robin from somewhere in the UK (no return address, just an email) sent me some beautiful curious pieces. 

I would say she (or he) 's  a writer in the first instance - clues: poetry, a type writer, a note that suggests a 'retired' mail artist, knows DVS, stories. Also a visual poet: type,  poems that tell their stories moving down and across the page, integrating other graphic marks - it's concrete poetry. Communicator  I feel I know a little bit about Robin having received this mailing. Sense of humour.  What a gift!  Thank you.

2020 Mail Art Network

Mikel Untzilla's mail art is arte correo to me… As I looked at his address, I realised I didn't know where Euskadi was.  I had thought Mikel sent from Spain, his work has a latino vibe which I like.  I google and discover it is Basque country. 

I spent a few magical weeks in Basque country when I was in my early twenties. I will visualise Mikel ( a member of my mail art network - he's devoted and I am the disappointing correspondent, most of the time) cutting stamps, collating his graphic vision, making beautiful asemic poetry in a beautiful corner of the world.

Hanner Postcard swap: Christine Mann

Christine has chosen the colours of my peonies, zinnias and petunias in her postcard swap creation.  Who could help but be overjoyed (in the time of coronavirus) by these riotous hues and this ravishing beauty? I love the texture, the different kinds of text, the fact that I can't quite read her words but that I can read some and they resonate.  Many thanks for an uplifting swap!

Hanner Postcard Swap: Angie

I haven't partaken of any formal mail art swaps in a long time but the Hanner postcard swap caught my eye so I said YES! 

The first postcard to arrive was from Angie Bobangie in Wisconsin. I love the colour, the frentic energy and the way the random pieces fit together to speak to me about life in lockdown.  This is a no theme swap so I am sure I am reading into the piece, but it was certainly the perfect way to start the swap, feel connected to American mail art friends who are also navigating in this strange time! Angie and I did mailart 365 at the same time, woah, that was a long time ago!

Thank you Angie and I love your stamp!

Stamping Fields of Brown

Tofu likes to cut and assemble.  I make trash quilts out of plastic.  Tofu makes fields of colour, pattern and shape in a similar way to those gorgeous black american vernacular quilts. Tofu's pieces go all directions and may feel random at first look but as you look, you can tell they are actually crafted in a way that they are still, balanced symphonies, not easy to accomplish.

Tofu tells me he has used up old postage stamps. Lucky me.

Thanks you, Tofu.  This is a beautiful mailing!