Mail Art!

(dali stamp by Sean Woodward)

Updated June 2002 - I've removed the calls page due to the info being too outdated... sorry! My mailart activities have sadly lapsed of late, hence the lack of updates here... But now I'm on my way back into mail art!!!!!

Speaking of which, apologies to anyone who's sent stuff for my zine The Inpenitent Sausage Machine, the 2nd issue of which is an astonishing 3 years overdue!!! I have recently dug it out with a view to actually finishing it! So, one day it will happen... If you remember sending something for that project, please email me + let me know if your address has changed so I can make sure the zine finally reaches you! Whew.

Actually, please email me if you sent me anything at all I haven't replied to, I need kicking into action! .... well, enough of this babbling, Scroll down for the actual content!

index

Mail art gallery - updated (at long last) June 2002 with a couple of old new pics.

Is there mail art in The Simpsons?

My mail art given press coverage in The Independent!
Fame at last! (well....)

NEW! See some 7" records used as postcards on my Cementimental experimental sound page/

What is mail art?

Mail Art really is quite marvellous, but exactly what it is is difficult to comprehend if you are not involved, or possibly even if you are. Essentially it is the sending of art through the mail, hence the name. In some respects the communicating and sending is more important than the actual artwork sent, but if you get into mailart you are sure to recieve many beautiful, funny,interesting, bizzare and striking things in your post!

Some early manifistations of mail art type goings on included Marcel Duchamp's postcard project "Rendezvous of 6 Febuary, 1916", and the activities of various Fluxus artists in the 60's onwards. Most influential however was the late Ray Johnson, who formed the 'New York Correspondance School", pretty much forming the basis for mail art as it is today.

Anyone who can afford to a little time and some stamps can be a mail artist, there are no fixed rules or regulations and no previous training or experience in the world of 'art' is required; it is an extremely democratic thing. Mail artists often run projects, which can be advertised in zines, by invitation flyers passed around the mail art network, on websites such as this, etc. There are various types of projects, including:

Many different mediums are used, collage, printing, xerox and rubberstamping being particularly popular especially for editions of multiple works. Three dimensional objects and all sort of subverted ephemera of modern culture are also sent, and decorating of envelopes is hugely popular. Putting an address and stamp on an unpackaged object is always fun! (test the post office!)

It's easy to be a mail artist; All you need to do is to write to some existing mail artists and send them something for their project. Start your own project, make some flyers for it, send them to everyone! Your network of contacts will increase as you recieve project flyers, project documentions with participants addresses, etc.

Here are some useful mostly obsolete links to other mail artist's websites where you will find more erudite descriptions of the mail art world, as well as many great projects to participate in!

Back to my homepage

this page is brought to you by...

If you love arts and music, have you ever considered taking music education lessons?  If drawing is more your style, consider taking Art learning Lesson Plans.  If you have always wanted to learn how to make incredible art, now is the time.  You are never to old to take Art education Lessons.  Sign online today for all of your art and music needs!