Medicine against War

This mailing from Herman has the push and pull of life in every pen mark and pixel. I see the infinite beauty of man and woman of them and they in the midst of the trappings of this world we share with each other. I want to run my fingers over the skin of this statue. The person it represents is long gone but in art he is immortal.

'Library After Air Raid', is so sad and so prescient. Herman made the envelope as the troops amassed at the border.  No one knew for sure what would happen next but, sadly, history repeats itself and there is nothing but beauty to take our minds away from the mirthlessness of the moment. It's hard not to read the image as anything other than a performance piece. Surely no people could do this in any world that isn't make believe. And yet. 

Luckily Herman pointed me in the direction of who this lothario was: Benajmino Gigli was a man of contradictions. An adored opera singer and yet he was aligned with Mussolini. He raised money for othersand yet was also a reknowned womaniser.  

I could win the look-like-your-pet contest. Lyra and I have wiry grey hair and love to run around the fields. Our expressions are similar sometimes.  The space between us is paper-thin. Man and animal, man and nature, ashes to ashes. Why can't we all just cohabitate, giving gifts, loving each other, satyr or not.

After all, don't we all want to be loved, admired, part of someone else's bigger picture?  But what of this power that some crave? Like the Gorgon, power to turn others to stone?  Power to raze a city to pieces of stone and wood?  

Herman and I are in  our studios gluing things,  painting others, using the salve of art to block out some of the tragedy of the moment. We are also in our gardens, caring for things, gathering leaves and weeds, recycling them, feeling joy at nature.

Herman brings the rich tapestry of life into one envelope inside another, inside another. He marries the joy of creation with a fascination for other.  His drawings embody emotion and that helps us to see the other side. Herman is empathic and makes me more so. In this mailing Herman also included some photos. The captions are what Herman wrote on the other side.  In 2007 I certainly would have turned to admire Herman if I had seen him!

Before my transformation (when I was young) 2007

when I was young, 2007

when I was young (after my transformation)  2007

Herman 2007

and theatrically, while we have the chance, we should live, dance, make aretplay statues and above all find our empathy.

 

Chartreuse and woes of wanted and unwanted attention - Voyageur Postal

Herman's envelope of the unwanted attention of a true romance rogue, brings me right back to teenage hours wondering what the world held in store for me…

Next I look at it from an aesthetic angle and delight in the squares of colour and the way they break up the tension of space.

For me, a day at the hairdresser would be absolute purgatory, but interestingly, Herman's hairdressing side of the envelope with it's swinging london feel and chartreuse print, exists in a parallel universe:  the radio is debating objectification and beauty and I find myself wondering if this little lady enjoys her coiffure, and is she does is that OK? Would she call herself a feminist?  One thing's for sure, the man attending to her seems to love his job. This is a very fun pair of images and quite provocative in an aesthetic way too!

Hurray for Herman! and what a wonderful muse this roman makes in his pillar of stamps. and if youask me, It looks like Herman's heart includes Falmouth, one of the prettiesst places in the southwest of the UK… and I don't blame him!

Love these moustached men!

Can you spy the collage Herman has made me in the midst of all the wonderful pieces of collage material he sent too? I nearly missed it!

 Huge thanks.  What a beautiful mail art surprise!