Mail from Arttower - Germany

An envelope filled with goodies..... Thank you!

Mail from Geof Huth - USA

Mail from Cindy Wills - USA

Mail from Ben Vautier - France

When sending mail to the old Fluxus members one can always expect surprises. Instead of printing on the stampsheets for Fluxus rubberstamps Ben Vautier sent back the sheet with this original rubberstamp out of his own collection. The text reads: "l 'instant présent m'interesse - Ben". Translation: "The situation now interests me - Ben". Off course I printed the stamp on the stampsheet for him and that will join the collection. The rubberstamp will be used for the outgoing mail on special occasions. Will think of a way to reply to this.

Besides the rubberstamp the envelope was also filled with old and very recent paperwork published for exhibitions Ben Vautier had in the last years of even one in this year.

Mail from Katerina Nikoltsou - Greece

On the pile you see below the first envelope came from Katerina Nikoltsou. This is the frontside. She sent back a stamsheet for the fluxus rubberstamps collection. To my surprise Katerina also has two fluxus rubberstamps now. Will be documented on the specific blog for that collection soon.

The pile is still large, but here you have the start of an overview of some of the mail-art that came in the last 5 weeks.

Incoming Mail-Art

As some of you know I was in Athens for the last month. The Mail-Art in the P.O. Box piled up, and this is how the pile looks like back in Breda. Will take some time to go through this. There were also 4 boxes in the P.O. Box. So be patient. I will see how to handle this.

Mail-Art and the Digital World

The digital world is now the generator of new Mail-Artists. People discover what Mail-Art is on one of the blogs of social networks and start to send out Mail-Art. Since the postal rates are high today one does want to know where the Mail-Art goes to and wether it arrived. The digital media make this all possible. We are sure in a new fase of Mail-Art.

Where to leave your Mail-Art?

Syntagma Square, Athens, Main Postoffice.

Some new drawings (2)

Some new drawings

Above and below you see two more drawings I made in Athens, Greece. Some Mail-Artists wonder if I received their mail-art.... You will find out soon when I return home and will publish the pile that is awaiting me at home.

Article in Broken Pencil - USA/Canada

http://www.brokenpencil.com/view.php?id=5392 is a direct link to the article writen on Mail-Art in the Magazine: "Broken Pencil". Enjoy reading it!

Article in Broken Pencil - USA/Canada

The Undying Art of Mail

We used to send mail, and there used to be an underground movement of artists who made mail art. Laura Trethewey tracks down the artists who made the postal system an integral part of their work to find out how mail art is faring in the age of the Internet.

see: http://www.brokenpencil.com

To Blog or Not to Blog

The Blogging concept is already old. I myself started in 2004 and am blogging for over 6 years now. Lots of information I have placed online in dozens of blogs. The number of visitors decreases though. Everybody want fast access to the latest news and therefore uses the Social Networks (SN). When you integrate Blogs in Social Networks through RSS you reach the largest audience. Something I explain to informatic students all the time. Building such a net is what makes communication succesfull.

To blog or not to Blog isn't the question. Every Mail-Artists that is online knows a few blogs and eventually starts one for him/her-self. The final documentation of a Mail-Art project? I know that a lo0t of the old generation Mail-Artist don't like that idea. They put in their original artwork and send it by snail-mail, and all they get is being visible in a blog? They would prefer a printed catalogue instead. The factors time & money are changing the Mail-Art network for sure.

An example. I just documented the IUOMA Social Network by downloading the complete structure, all images and videos, blogs and posting and individual pages. A collection of 16 GByte that can just be placed on a CD of DVD. It is essential to archive the digital world as well. It has become more complex to keep everything accesible.

Communicating with Modern Tools : Mail-Art

Communicating with Modern Tools: Mail Art anno 2010. Drawing by Ruud Janssen. Indian Ink and Watercolours. 400 gm3 Paper. Made on August 3rd 2010 in Athens.

Mail-Art: Quality and Quantity

Another Chart I made in Athens, Greece. This time it deals with the aspects Quality and Quantity. What influences these factrors in Mail-Art? An overview I could use to talk hours about the subject. Below you find some detail photo's. When back in Breda I will make a good digital documentation and will also distribute hardcopy versions.

Modern Days in Networking

Detail of new Chart

Detail of a new Chart I am working on. It deals with Quality and Quantity in Mail-Art. Which elements influence both. On this detail I explain one element. How much tome does it take to make your artwork. Indepentently of what it is, the time factor plays a role...

New Chart -August 2010

A new chart I drew in Athens. Math, Flysics and Art. It tries to explain what aspects influence my life and my art. Drawing by Ruud Janssen, Indian Ink and Watercolours. The centre is CONCEPT. An essential part of my life.

Concept of the Concept-Chart

Chart will be published complete when it is complete

Hit a Nerve

Drawing by Ruud Janssen: " Hit a Nerve" - Indian Ink and Watercolours.

Duo

Drawing by Ruud Janssen. Title: " Duo" , Indian Ink and Watercolours on 300 gm3 paper.