| John Held, Jr. Papers Archives of American Art Smithsonian Institution Key to the Collection: Correspondence, 1976-1995 Part I ARGENTINA Marx, Graciela Genesis (La Plata) One of the most active female Mail Artists in South America, Marx was involved in a number of social activist programs, including Madres de Plaza de Mayo, and the organization of a number of Mail Art shows in honor of her mother, Mamablanca. She also collaborated for a number of years with Edgardo-Antonio Vigo (see file Argentina) under the rubric G. E. Marx Vigo. In December 1991, I visited her in La Plata during my South American Performance Tour. 6 letters 1 FAX 1987-1992 Vigo, Edgardo-Antonio (La Plata) The late artist was one of the first Mail Artists in South America, active in a number of fields, including Visual Poetry and Artist Postage Stamps. I met him at his home in La Plata in 1991. One revealing letter responds to an article I wrote for ND, "Crossing the Cactus Curtain: Politics and Isolation Test the Commitment of Latin American Artists," in which he details his collaboration with Graciela Genesis Marx and the "disappearance" of his son Abel. A number of Vigo's innovative and poetic artist postage stamps are affixed to envelopes. 6 letters 1 postcard 1991-1993 AUSTRIA Krist, Martin (Stockerau) The letter is in response to a show of artist postage stamps I organized and includes several examples, as well as an eraser carving and Brain Cell sticker (see file Ryosuke Cohen, Japan) affixed to the envelope. One of the few Austrian Mail Artists. 1 letter 1986 AUSTRALIA Degney, Neil (Woolloongabba) Degney writes for information about Mail Art after having been visited by Peter K�sterman (see file Germany-West) and Angela Pahler on their 1992 World Wide Deluxe Personal Mail Art Delivery Tour. A second letter asks for an essay to introduce a catalog for a Mail Art show in honor of Shozo Shimamoto (see file Japan), which Degney organized in Brisbane. 2 letters 1992-1995 Larter, Pat (Yass) One of the pioneering Australian Mail Artists in collaboration with her husband Richard, the late Pat Larter was well-known for her erotic mailings through the post. 2 letters 1 postcard 1981-1989 BELGIUM Bleus, Guy (Wellen) The foremost theoretician of Mail Art, a tireless organizer of exhibitions, Bleus and I have had a lengthy correspondence over a number of years. We met twice at his home in Wellen (1989,1995), which houses the most comprehensive archive of Mail Art in the world. Bleus is the producer of several of Mail Arts' most important catalogs, as well as several CD-ROMs on the subject. A wealth of Mail Art information in this file, and a good example of long-distance and field-tested friendship and respect established through Mail Art networking activity. 37 letters 1 loose note 1984-1995 D'Haeseleer, Kristof (Glizegem) Young Belgian Mail Artist, who made a number of rubber stamps related to the genre, several of which are imprinted on his correspondence. 1 letter 1 postcard 1991 De Boever, Jan (Eeklo) Director of De Media, a youth center and zine archive, which hosted a number of Mail Art events, including a large Mail Art Congress in 1986. I visited for an exhibition and lecture in 1989. The correspondence describes the preparations for the show and detailed information about the venue. 2 letters 1988-1989 Luce Fierens (Hombeek) One of the most active young Belgian Networkers interested in Fluxus, social art, and various Mail Art genres such as rubber stamps and publications. He is the editor of Postfluxpostbooklets, a collaborative publication with selected Mail Artists. His correspondence can be used to great benefit in obtaining a sense of Mail Artist response to the Yugoslavian situation. 17 letters 2 postcards 1987-1994 Fran�ois, Charles (Liege) One of the first Mail Artists to embrace the computer, These files (plus one disc) show how this new medium was first introduced into the field. 13 letters 1 postcard 1 computer disc 1987-1994 Guy Schraenen (Antwerp) One of the foremost archivists of the "marginal" arts in Europe, and also a publisher of works on sound art, artists books, rubber stamps, artist postage stamps, and various other manifestations of the contemporary avant-garde. His correspondence includes a resume of activities. 2 letters 1984-1985 Vd Broucke, Jos� (Deerlijk) I met this Belgian artist when we performed together in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1989. He is a socially conscious artist much concerned with the struggle in Yugoslavia. His letters often compile responses to multiple artists, devoting a paragraph to each. His studio, The Temple, has been a meeting place for many Mail Artists. 7 letters 1 postcard 1989-1994 BRAZIL Bruscky, Paulo (Recife) Pioneering Latin American artist (began 1973) involved in Visual Poetry, conceptual rubber stamp usage and social activism. 1 letter 4 postcards 1985-1992 Duch, Leonard Frank (Recife) Brazilian artist, who collaborated with Paulo Bruscky, also of Recife. A conceptual artist, known widely for his rubber stamp imprint, "I am Duch, Not Duchamp, " which is imprinted on the envelope. 1 letter 1981 BULGARIA Deissler, Guillermo ((Plovdiv) A native of Chile, who was forced to leave the country because of his political beliefs, Deissler also resided in East Germany (see also file Germany-East). The late artist is one of the pioneers of Latin American Visual Poetry, and an active publisher of assembling magazines. He exerted an important influence on the spread of Mail Art in Eastern Europe before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 2 letters 1984 CANADA Bidner, Michael (London, Ontario) An early researcher in the field of artist postage stamps, a field for which he coined the term "artistamps," Bidner died before his dream of publishing a Standard Artistamp Catalogue could be realized. He was also one of the first Mail Artists to try to bridge the world of artistamp producers with the philatelic community. Before his death he donated his large collection of artistamps to Artpool in Budapest, Hungary (see file Hungary). Following his death, his friend Rosemary Gahliner Beaune (see file Canada) continued his work. 6 letters 2 postcards 1983-1986 Duquette, Mike (Scarborough, Ontario) A Canadian postal union worker, Duquette was an active presence in Mail Art, an eraser carver, and an artist postage stamp producer, whose work graced the cover of the Mus�e de la Poste, Paris, catalog, Timbres d'Artistes (1993). He formed several projects relating to the Canadian Postal System, and had a wide circle of correspondents. 3 letters 1 postcard 1987-1988 Gagnon, Jean Claude (Qu�bec) Organizer of La Premi�re Rencontre Internationale D'Art Postal Dans La R�gion de Qu�bec, which brought together Mail Artists from Canada, the United States, Italy, Switzerland and Uruguay in 1994, Gagnon comes from a poetry background and edits the assembling magazine, R�paration de Po�sie. His correspondence deals with the organization of the Qu�bec Congress, which I attended. 4 letters 1994 Gahlinger-Beaune, Rosemary (Burnaby, B. C.) A devoted friend of Michael Bidner (see file Canada), Gahlinger-Beaune worked for ten years after Bidner's death in 1989 towards completion the late artists' Standard Artistamp Catalouge, which was published in 1999 in CD-ROM format. Her correspondence details the various twists and turns that this endeavor took. 8 letters 1 postcard 1 loose letter 1989-1992 Kantor, Istvan [AKA Monty Cantsin] (Outremont, Quebec) Given the name Monty Cantsin, an "open" name that anyone was free to use, by fellow Mail Artist David Zack (see file Mexico), Hungarian artist Istvan Kantor became the fierce advocate of Neoism, again, an "open" movement, in which diverse practitioners could develop the movement according to their own needs. Neoism swept the Mail Art world in the late eighties, but none remained so devoted as Kantor. A noted performance artist (my Modern Realism Gallery sponsored his performance in Dallas in 1985), Kantor is infamous for splattering his own blood (a Neoist talisman) between two Picasso paintings at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. 4 letters 2 postcards 1985-1988 Mabie, Don [AKA Chuck Stake] (Calgary, Alberta) A Mail Artist since 1972, Chuck Stake can be considered the Dean of Canadian Mail Art, with a string of exhibitions and projects spanning two decades. As director of the Canadian alternative space, Off Centre Centre, and later The Canadian Correspondence Art Gallery. Mabie sponsored a number of appearances by artists, including an International Mail Art Symposium in 1986, which attracted artists from throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. His distinctive handwriting became a mainstay on Networking circuits throughout the world. 8 letters 2 postcards 1 loose letter 1985-1992 Marriot, John (Toronto, Ontario) Correspondence with the author of Other Ground: Sensoria from Censorium (Mangajin Books, Toronto, 1990), which resulted in the publishing of the book. The finished work included contributions from Vittore Baroni (see file Itlay), Mike Gunderloy (see file United States), Serge Segay (see file U. S. S. R.), Lloyd Dunn (see file United States), Daniel Plunkett, (see file United States) Ryosuke Cohen (see file Japan), Mike Dyar (see file United States), as well as others. The letters detail his growing enthusiasm and knowledge of the field. 8 letters 1990-1992 Varney, Ed (Vancouver, B. C.) Varney has been a participant in Mail Art since the seventies, and being a printer by profession, has produced a number of high-quality off-printed items relating to Mail Art. He is especially interested in artist postage stamps, and currently (2000) serves as editor of Artistamp News, the premier publication in the field. 3 letters 1 loose letter 1986-1989 CHILE Braum�ller, Hans (Santiago) Painter as well as Mail Artist, Braum�ller combined both interests in an innovative Mail Art project, "Help Me to Paint," in which contributors were asked to send in painted segments, which the artist combined. A resident of both Chile and Germany, Braum�ller spends time in both countries. I visited him in Santiago in 1991 as part of my South American Performance Tour. 3 letters 1992-1994 Montes de Oca, Carlos (Santiago) Editor of the Mail Art publication Camolawa-Pish, and creator of artist postage stamps, Montes de Oca is a highly skilled graphic artist. We met during the course of my 1991 South American Performance Tour. 1 letter 1990 CHINA Pollard, Michael (Xian) An American teaching English at the Xian Branch, Academia Sinica, Pollard became an ardent Mail Artist and a highly skilled eraser carver. His letters reveal the joys and tribulations of a foreigner in a small rural village in the People's Republic, and the difficulties in inducing native residents to participate in Mail Art. The letters and postcards are generously illustrated with this talented artists' work. Pollard latter went on to teach English, and continue his Mail Art activities, in Indonesia and Guatemala. 2 letters 2 postcards 1991-1992 COLUMBIA Restrepo, Tulio (Medellin) Correspondence concerns plans for a possible visit during my 1991 South American Performance Tour. Includes a photocopy artwork on the theme of peace. 1 letter 1991 CROATIA Mimica, Svjetlana (Split) This series of letters describes the difficult conditions of making art during times of Balkan hostilities, and the unraveling relationships between Mimica and her Serbian counterparts. These letters, along with materials in the files of Aandrej Tisma and Dobricia Kamperelic (see files Yugoslavia) can be read to great benefit in gaining a perspective on the pressures brought to bear on Mail Artists by external forces. 12 letters 5 postcards 1991-1994 CUBA Mena, Abalardo (Havana) In the Fall of 1993, I received a letter that changed my life. Received from Abelardo Mena, Curator of Foreign Art, at the National Museum of Beaux-Arts, Havana, it read, "I'm very interested to get a detailed information about the artists and kind of art you promote, your publications and exhibitions plans." I responded that my interest was Mail Art, and that this was an important means of artistic communication across international borders. So began a correspondence between the two of us, leading up to my visiting Cuba to help install the exhibition, Habana '95: Exhibici�n Internacional de Arte Correo, as well as my lecturing, performing and conducting a workshop on Mail Art at the Museo Nacional. My trip was sponsored by Stanley Marsh 3 (see file United States), a personal friend and sponsor of many art projects, including the Cadillac Ranch by Ant Farm, and Robert Smithson's Amarillo Ramp (the artist died while surveying the site). During the course of our correspondence, which consisted not only by means of the postal service, but by FAX, International Cablegram, and e-mail, Mena wrote, "As you said, the M. A. has given us the opportunity to work together in a scale unknown before between USA-Cuba. We have sent, and continue send(ing) invitations to the M. A. Artists, 1280 until the moment. The project or exhibition is supported basically by Banco de Ideas Z (Idea Bank Z), an independent and non profit cultural project I belong (to). Banco de Ideas Z printed the invitation, sent them, will help in the installation of the show, the promotion in Cuba and will print/send the documentation to the artists. The Museum offers a space, institutional connections, and the Fax machine (Mena, August 14, 1994). The exhibition was held from January through March 1995. The exhibition opened one week after the death of Ray Johnson (see file USA). 7 letters 1 International Cablegram 5 e-mailings 6 loose notes 1993-1995 Mir, Jacqueline (Havana) Although this letter is of a more personal nature than most in the Collection, I include it because of the prominent role this talented artist played in my visit to Cuba, and in the travel diary I wrote documenting my stay in Havana. 2 letters 1995 P�rez, Luis Miret (Havana) FAX from the Director of International Relations, National Museum of Fine Arts, informing me that an International Mail Art Show has been approved by the Museum, and that I am welcome to attend. This allowed me to proceed in securing a visa from the Cuban government, and to obtain a license from the United States Treasury Department in order to travel legally to Cuba. 1 FAX 1994 CZECHOSLOVAKIA Kliver, Miroslav (Prague) Letter written in response to questions put forth during research I conducted for my Mail Art Shows, 1970-1985 project. Kliver details the Dim Art International exhibition he organized in 1977. 1 letter 1985 Sevc�k, Petr, and Parmov�, Radana (Z�breh) Sevc�k was an invaluable resource while conducting research for my Annotated Bibliography project. His partner, Parmov�, adds a lengthy letter reflecting on the revolution that created freedom for a new nation. 3 letters 1989-1990 DENMARK Nielsen, Mogens Otto [AKA Atmosphere Controlled] (Hjallerup) Includes a handsome Mail Art invitation for a "collective cut op (sic) essay" on "mail art love and life." 2 letters 1988-1990 Rasmussen, Steen M�ller (Valby) Envelope containing two Mail Art works. 1 letter 1985 Witta, Georgine Margareta (Roskilde) Witta distributed a questionnaire to Mail Artists asking about their Mail Art activity, and reproduced Ray Johnson's (see file United States) reply in postcard form. To the question, "Who introduced you to Mail Art?", Johnson answered, "King John Held Jr." When asked when he began in Mail Art, Johnson responded, "The year was 1903." Circling the box "Other reasons (state)" in regard to the question "Why/when did you STOP with Mail Art?", Johnson answered, "The State of Tex 75206." 1 letter 1995 ENGLAND Bates, Keith (Manchester) Bates produces excellent printed and computer generated "ephemeral" items that are widely circulated in the Mail Art network. He is also vehemently opposed to Tourism in Mail Art. His file includes a detailed reply to a questionnaire concerning his involvement in Mail Art, and a photocopy of a letter he wrote to Swiss artist H. R. Fricker (see file Switzerland) concerning computers and Mail Art, Tourism (which Fricker conceptualized) and his response to the 1992 lecture I gave at the Victoria and Albert Museum London. Bates also discusses the pros and cons of the historification Mail Art. "...mail art encourages co-operation, acceptance of 'other', not competition or antagonism. Mail art does not need to be Historicist." 3 letters 1987-1992 Crozier, Robin (Sunderland) The Dean of English Mail Art, Crozier has maintained a long-running Memo(random) project, in which he circulates a form asking his correspondents to relate their memories of a particular day. The completed form is then sent to another contributor. Several of these forms are included in the file. Other aspects of his correspondence detail our mutual admiration for the work of Jean Brown (see file United States), and the sale of her archive to the Getty (see file United States). Crozier also responds to my Annotated Bibliography project by citing some of the more obscure publications his work has appeared in. 10 letters 1988-1994 Dictionary of Art (London) Proof sheet of my contributing essay on Mail Art for this major reference work (Groves Encyclopedia of Art), and a letter to contributors from Editor Jane Shoaf Turner. 1 letter 1994 Finlay, Eric (London) One of the first Mail Artists to incorporated computer graphics into his works (1984), Finlay had a wide circle of correspondents including Carlo Pittore, Al Ackerman, buZ blurr and Lon Spiegelman (see files in United States). A former painting instructor at the Chelsea School of Art, Finlay comments on a wide variety of subjects, including his enthusiasm for the use of the computer in art. 14 letters 1 loose sheet 1984-1989 Ford, Simon (London) A librarian at the National Art Library (England), and the author of The Realization and Suppression of the Situationist International: An Annotated Bibliography, 1972-1992 (AK Press, 1995) and Wreckers of Civilization: The Story of COUM Transmissions & Throbbing Gristle (Black Dog Publising, 1999), Ford was responsible for the organization of my lecture at the Victoria and Albert Museum and National Art Library in 1992. (See also file National Art Library, England). 2 letters 1 loose note 1992-1993 Home, Stewart (London) I've had a wide-ranging and informative correspondence with this important figure in the English alternative arts. Home talks about his conceptualization of the Festivals of Plagiarism and Art Strike, 1990-1993 in detail. He also discusses his interest in Neoism, the years spent in hiatus during Art Strike, his novels based on Richard Allen's Skinhead series, and provides a comprehensive bibliography of his writings. Home is the author of The Assault on Culture: Utopian Currents from Lettrisme to Class War (Aporia Press and Unpopular Books, 1988), The Art Strike Papers/Neoist Manifestos (AK Press, 1991), and Neoism, Plagiarism & Praxis (AK Press, 1995) and a series of novels. I stayed with him during my One Week Mail Art Performance Party in 1989, maintaining a lively correspondence afterwards. 26 letters 1 loose note 1988-1993 Jackson, Paul [AKA Art Naphro] (London) One of the most talented eraser carvers in Mail Art, there are several examples imprinted on the envelope and letter. We met at the home of Michael Leigh and Hazel Jones (see file England) during my 1989 trip to London. 1 letter 1991 Leigh, Michael and Jones, Hazel [AKA A.1. Waste Paper Co.] (London) Leading rubber stamp artists on the global scene, Michael Leigh and his wife Hazel Jones, have maintained a rubber stamp exchange project for a number of years. Their letters and envelopes are highly decorated with their chosen medium. The envelopes also reflect their wide correspondence in Mail Art, re-cycling and collaging their correspondents images. 14 letters 1989-1994 Jarvis, Don [AKA Dawn Redwood] (London) Mail Art's most well-known transvestite, Jarvis/Redwood has a long history in the network as a publisher (Aard Press) and enthusiastic correspondent. He introduced Peter K�stermann (see file Germany-West) to the field, and was a collaborator of mine during the One Week Mail Art Performance Party staged in 1989. 3 letters 5 postcards 1 loose letter 1981-1993 Lumb, Michael (Ipswich) Lumb completed a Ph.D. thesis on Mail Art, using me as a resource during his research. Included is an early outline of the thesis. The file also contains a questionnaire he circulated on Mail Art Archives. Lumb became an active networker, producing rubber stamp works and postage stamps. 12 letters 1991-1995 National Art Library (London) Preparations leading up to my December 1992 talk at the Victoria & Albert Museum on Mail Art, and to the staff of the National Art Library on collecting fugitive alternative art publications. The correspondence is with Curator and Chief Librarian Jan van der Wateren, and Simon Ford, Librarian, National Art Library. 7 letters 1 FAX Stitt, Andre (London) An Irish performance artist living in London, Stitt is one of the most extreme performance artists on the international scene. He has been active in Mail Art since the early eighties. Stitt was a host of mine during my 1989 One Week Mail Art Performance Party, and we met several times after that in Texas, where he staged performances in Dallas under the sponsorship of Daniel Plunkett (see file United States). 1 letter 1 postcard 1989 Szczelkun, Stefan (London) Author of the book Collaborations (Working Press, 1987), which mentioned Mail Art, and a researcher of artists' books, Szczelkun attended my 1992 V&A lecture. An earlier postcard is from the collection of Lois Way of Fort Worth, Texas, who donated several items to my archive. 2 letters 1 postcard 1 loose sheet 1986-1994 Waller, Ainslie [Make Your Mark Rubber Stamps] (York) Proprietor of the first rubber stamp retail store in England, Ainslie Waller also has an interest in Mail Art, attending my 1992 V&A lecture, and as this letter indicates, producer of rubber stamps for European Mail Artists. Enclosed is a rubber stamp made by Waller for Yugoslavian Mail Artist Nenad Bogdanovic (see file Yugoslavia) documenting my 1994 participation in his Networker Gallery project. 1 letter 1995 ESTONIA (see UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS) FRANCE Fischer, Herv� (Paris) The author of Art et Communication Marginale: Tampons D'Artistes (Balland, 1974), writes Scarecrow Press from Qu�bec, asking for a copy of Mail Art: An Annotated Bibliography. He was in Qu�bec involved with a program on art and new technologies. 1 letter 1992 Daligand, Daniel (Levallois) Perhaps the most active Mail Artist in France, Daligand was the editor of the Mail Art publication L'Timbre. He was a participant with me in Japan, during the 1988 Hiroshima Shadow Performances, sponsored by Shozo Shimamoto (see file Japan), and a visitor to Dallas in 1990. He specializes in Mickey Mouse imagery, and has published a book on the subject. For many years, a running concern in our correspondence was the search for a copy of the landmark book, Mail Art: Communication a Distance Concept (Editions CEDIC, 1971) by Jean-Marc Poinsot. 24 letter 1 postcard 1985-1995 Duvivier, Fran�oise (Paris) In the early nineties, Duvivier was very active publishing her Mail Art magazine, Metro Riquet, the French equivalent of Daniel Plunketts' (see file United States), ND. Then she was gone. These series of letters convey her early enthusiasm and financial concerns. 4 letters 1990 Laszlo, Jean-No�l (Toulon) A specialist in the field of artist postage stamps, Laszlo curated a number of local exhibitions on the subject (producing outstanding catalogs), resulting in his facilitating the 1993 show, Timbres D'Artistes, at the Mus�e de la Poste in Paris. 7 letters 4 postcards 1989-1993 Lenoir, Pascal (Grandfresnoy) His English may be poor or non-existent, which is a drawback when participating in International Mail Art, but Lenoir is an excellent example of the networker who has found a comfortable format, which he is tireless in pursuing. As the editor of Mani Art, an assembling zine requesting 60 works from contributors, he has to date (January 2000), issued 125 numbers since 1984 3 letters 1987-1993 Mielle, Christophe (Pantin) The editor of Margaret Freeman's Digest, Mielle was part of the growing breed of young networkers in the early nineties, combining Mail Art with alternative music and zine publishing. His sticker, "Call Yourself Margaret Freeman," recalls the Neoist strategy of "open names," an overlap between Mail Art and zinedom. 6 letters 1990-1994 Mus�e de la Poste (Paris) A letter from the Director, Marie-Claude Le Floc'h states the availability of a catalog for the exhibition, Coup d'Envois ou l'Art la Lettre. A collaborative rubber stamp postcard from the exhibition opening is sent from four Mail Artists: Esting (Denmark), Massa (France), Ruscoe (France) and Tisma (see file Yugoslavia). The Mus�e de la Poste went on to mount other Mail Art related exhibitions on postage stamps and rubber stamps, with excellent catalogs resulting from each. 1 postcard 1 loose letter 1989 Le Peintre Nato (Paris) Le Peintre Nato has held several Body Art events. His Art and Absence of Clothes festivals have attracted a number of Mail Artists. The letters include publicity for the events. 3 letters 1990-1992 Restany, Pierre (Paris) One of the most important art critics in contemporary art, the mastermind behind the Nouveau Realists, Restany has taken an interest in Mail Art, contributing essays to several Mus�e de la Poste exhibitions. In this letter, he rubber stamps, "Reconstitutions Historique Authenthiee," over a flyer produced by Scarecrow Press for Mail Art: An Annotated Bibliography. 1 letter 1991 Rigal, Christian (Paris) A scholar specializing in both artist postcards and "electography," or photocopy works, Rigal encloses an extensive bibliography of his writings in these fields. 1 letter 1991 Robic, Jean-Fran�ois (Straasbourg) Soon after our meeting in Qu�bec for a Mail Art Congress, Robic and I began a correspondence based on his interest in photocopier art. Like the "Operation Round-Trip" works of Cavellini (see file Italy), Robic photocopies over original letters mailed to him by his correspondents. 3 letters 1995 Rose, Matthew (Ivry-Sur-Seine) An expatriate freelance journalist living in France, Rose was fascinated with Ray Johnson (see file United States), and through him Mail Art, especially artist postage stamps. A friend of artistamp artist Michel Hosszu, Rose collaborated with him on the planning for a book on artist postage stamps in the Mail Art network. 3 letters 1995 Vautier, Ben (Nice) One of the Fluxus artists most associated with the use of the post for artistic purposes (his Postman's Choice is a masterpiece of Mail Art), I found myself on his mailing list for several years. The file includes several of his postcards and exhibition announcements. 3 letters 1989 Vulic, Darko (St. Pierre de Vassols) In June 1994, this Yugoslavian Mail Artist escaped from Sarajevo, relocating to France. He sends a mailing entitled, Seeds of Peace, stating his concern for friends and family left behind. Dandelion seeds are enclosed to be planted for good luck. 1 letter 1995 FRENCH GUYANA Polet, Claudine (Montjoly) "I am French. I am living in South America. I am a drawing art teacher. I would like to do Mail Art with my pupils. Mail Art Friends tell me you have something about Mail Art with children. Thank you if you show me." Can anyone deny the reach of this medium? 1 postcard 1987 GERMANY (EAST) Deissler, Guillermo (Halle) Forced to flee his native Chile for political reasons, Deissler immigrated first to Bulgaria (see file Bulgaria) before settling in Halle, East Germany. He continued editing the assembling magazine UNI-VERS(E), an international forum for Visual Poetry, wherever he went. Deissler was also a major rubber stamp artist. His understanding that the medium afforded great rewards to artists isolated because of political repression lead Deissler to become a major influence in the Eastern European Mail Art scene. 4 letters 1989 Rehfield, Robert and Ruth (East Berlin) Through his early contact with West German artist Klaus Groh, the late Robert Rehfield became aware of the Mail Art network in the early seventies, becoming, in turn, a leading force in the medium's growth in Eastern Europe. Denied access to photocopy equipment, his postcards and posters were lithographed, giving them a look unlike anything produced in the West. His calls for a "Creative World," "pARTners" and "Contart," (a blending of Art and Contact), endeared him to the Mail Art community. His wife Ruth was also active in Mail Art, especially in the field of Visual Poetry, where she used a typewriter to make unique typographical displays. 7 letters 1 postcard 1981-1990 Continue to Part II |