Marie Wintzer: Repetitions 4 Love C 1

When Marie's envelope landed in my mailbox I was swamped by work in schools and family stuff, not to mention the 25 years of IUOMA mail art exhibition al Old House and my fusepo.  So, I made a decision not to open it until I had appreciated all the other things that came before that I hadn't yet looked at with care. One always WANTs to open a Wintzer envelope, though. I'm sure having it by my computer, reminding me, made me more focused and determined. This bareback rider reminds me of the Pompei exhibit currently at the Vand A in London.  Beautiful colour and simplicity and a playful air that Marie has taken advantage of when she puts my name in his cape? 

Marie has been making Repetitions http://mariesmailbox.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/repetitions.html she tells me she's 'just playing with pencils' but I see lots of repetition of form, colour, and a playfulness, how ideas might be born. I see figures flowing out of the pills, jelly beans, sleeping tablets - a valley of dolls legs, wild dreams with men riding bareback,  but maybe that's just me! 

As ever, Marie leaves me wondering and wanting more!  Thank you Marie.

o.pen-hearth - Diane Keys

Diane tells us she is playing with paint.  If you look on her website: http://dianekeys.blogspot.co.uk you will see a range of her trashpo with paint. She seems to be transporming her raw trash, underscoring and masking words as she plays.  You never know how much is intentional and how much we read into other people's work but I love the way I see 'o.pen-hearth, 'call mom'  and see the repetition of the image in the bottom left with the bigger boob shape that dominates the pink middle.

Diane hoped the glue would hold and I can confirm that it did! On the other side are phlox and apple stamps too, echoing the colours on the front.

Love this new direction, Diane!

Mail art from Mailart Martha

Received these from Martha when my scanner/printer was on the fritz, hence the photo.  Martha talks about the weather in England not being so spectacular.  That's the great thing about the weather... it changes and to be honest I can't remember anything but the long sunny days and barbeques at the top of the field now. 

Martha went to St Ives and says it was beautiful in the rain. Her picture captures that.  Me thinks there must be lots of old tin mines in that part of England, Patrick has a way of sniffing them out.  As for cows, Ruby reds, or not.  I am fairly terrified of them. but this one is a charmer.

Love the signature Retalia figure and the envelope too.  Thank you Mailart Martha!

Aristide 3108 28062013 ENCARTED

Aristide has done what we all wonder about doing, Aristide has taken that sheet of Ryosuke Cohen and re-configured it (ENCARTED) it and the result is beautiful! at Tic Tac's blog http://tac-tictac.blogspot.co.uk I learned that similar encarted pieces form part of 'zine in a box'. 

The feel of the card is wonderful.  The way the colour recedes and comes forward is a colour study in itself. I love tiny envelopes ever since hong pau envelopes in Singapore.  Aristide's is simple and quiet, but exact. the ghostly envelope that holds it all with it's bold red stamp and the word ENCARTED in sync with the postage stamp all just fabulous!  Thank you Aristide!

Vizma Bruns IUOMA MOBMA submission WHAT IS PORTRAITURE?

I will quote Diane Key's comment from the IUOMA website about this entry, as I think I will need to bear it in mind when it comes time to making decisions, and awarding prizes! 'If this is Vizzez' self portrait, I am very concerned about her. I don't know that I've ever seen a collage like this--I think it qualifies for MOBMA's 'kitchen sink' category.'

I will need advice from Vizma here, though, Viz is this a portrait? I hope it is.  I love the idea of taking the theme beyond the expected figurative domain!

Matte Stolte Oceans (Big Gulp)

Matt Stolte was a contributer to a collaborative VISPO book jointly coordinated by Cheryl Penn and De Villo Sloan. Matt told me then that he has been practiing visual poetry since 1998.  He lives in Madison Wisconsin. As a newcomer to VISPO, myself, I am inspired and interested in Matt's work and commented on a DVS blog. http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/minxus-mail-bag-from-oceans-parts-1-4-visual-poetry-by-matthew-stolte-madison-visconsin-usa/ I think that is why Matt sent me not ONE but Two envelopes full of samples of his Big Gulp material. Thank you Matt!

Matt's envelope has significant (to me) RG letters on it.  I notice the repetition of form, my initials from the front.  I open up the VISPO box with the pages I received 1  1/2 years ago, remembering vaguely the textual form of Matt's work  Matt and see that there is paint stamped pink 'R' on that envelope too.  Like this envelope, the feel is satisfying.

Matt's writing and imagery take me to the sea, beautiful and also cautionary.

Not sure what you do with a tag and pass but will do something and send this on. The text England, a farm house... is Matt saying something to me?

This is the contents of envelope one and next is the contents of envelope two.

Wonderful to see Matt's work and looking forward to seeing the bigger book that is coming out of his  TLBs (Tacky Little Booklets).  See more work from Matt at: http://constructionsea.blogspot.com/

Susan McAllister (Berkeley) - Nothing More Natural

Susan has sent me beautiful colourful painted cards in the past, card's I've loved, so I was surprised when I saw another side to Susan on MinXus Lynxus: http://minxuslynxus2.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/minxus-mail-bag-mail-art-minus-the-heart-from-susan-mcallister-berkeley-california-usa/. Surprised, but interested and impressed.  It funny the way one chooses the mail one sends, based on an inkling of what the person likes or wants. Susan tells me she is surpised I have only ever received her tamer mail art so in her inclusive way, I guess she decided to send me what she describes as this 'funky' card , 'what others might call weird,' piece.
I love the xerox feel, the way it take sme back to black and white movies, the clunky special effects and for me, the bad dreams.  And those letters 'TPD' whisper something prehistoric in my ear. Very scary.
Thank you Susan!

Diane Keys and ? (Seattle) send entry for IUOMA MOBMA prize

One anarchic group at IUOMA calls itself MOBMA (The Museum of Bad Mail Art).  http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/iouma-mobma-museum-of-bad-mail-art Member Mailartists vie for the prize of best bad mail art, or worst mail art, depending on how you look at it. We also post photos of things we find that somehow fit in with the idea of BAD (mail) art.  Last month I 'won' one of the categories, so am 'the esteemed judge' this month.  I will be a terrible judge, just sayin, having spent years devoted to encouraging all over the hump of creative confidence, I see all attempts as a journey.  However, I do think some people are born with particularly different taste to me.

Recently I was in an antiques centre in Exeter, looking for the perfect birthday gift for our just turning 21 year old son, when I came upon a couple debating whether to buy a framed print.  I was looking at the books, side-tracked again on my mission but in a good position to see what they were considering. DVS, if you are reading, it was an otter, or a mink or some other swimming rat. I was dumbstruck.

These two fall into the bad taste category, for sure.

Catching up with Simon Warren

Simon! I love seeing into your visual mind too. I think I mentioned that when I had the Memories are Made of this exhibition at Old House (Pimlott Foundation) I took all the mailart that had been sent in (uncounted but lots and lots) and either displayed the pieces or had a big box for people to look through.  I had 60 something from Simon so took a special Simon box for those and laid out the newest - the six previous ink dances.  I had lots of interest in the ink dances (particularly) from artists and other people liked reading about Tring etc.

Years ago I got to know Jennifer Bartlett's work. Her book, In the Garden, is one of my most treasured sources for inspiration. http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/jennifer-bartlett-698.  In the 80s she went to Italy and rented a house and drew from the garden, which did not inspire her at first, but became a constant source of experiments in the end. I find that Simon uses his life in a similar way.  Perhaps we all do, one way or another.

I have been quite snowed under - not a good choice of cliche as it's piping hot today - but you know what I mean... so am only just beginning the process of archiving all the wonderful stuff I've received recently. I sent Simon a little nothing yesterday to ackowledge all the instalments I have received from him and until today not documented.  I wonder if Simon knows I'm the judge of the IUOMA MOBMA competition this month.  http://iuoma-network.ning.com/group/iouma-mobma-museum-of-bad-mail-art We have loosely asked for portraits.  Simon, these don't qualify.