37) Addicted to Mail-Art?

I know that some people stumble onto mail-Art, explore it. Play the game, and after a while (sometimes a few years) stop and leave. Some stay, and have become addicted to the exhange of art, ideas and the community involved.

Why does one get addicted?

(the images below I got by mail as a reaction to this question.)

28) Mail-Art and language

　リトアニア出身のマチューナスは年当時，ニューヨーク大学で美術史を学び ，古楽器の儲からないディーラーをしていた。彼は建築，Mail-Artグラフィック・アート，音楽学も学んでいたが，特に美術史家として有望であり，芸術の形式，芸術運動，芸術の学派について研究し，全世界の芸術史を時間的・空間的に網羅した表を作ろうと試みていた。年の秋，ニューヨークのニュー・スクール・フォー・ソーシャル・リサーチでＲ．マックスフィールドによる電子音楽の講座を受けた彼は，L．ヤングと出会い，翌年にヤングの書籍『アンソロジー』という当時の前衛的な作品を集めた書籍の編集

Does language influence the mail-art network you have build up arround you?

23) What isn't Mail-Art

Seems like a lot of contributors want to show us what IS mail-art. Nothing wrong with that. I am currious to what we consider NOT mail-art? A nice example can be the project where mail-artists are called to send in works that is goijng to be sold for a good cause. A mail-art project where one can buy the catalogue, a mail-art project that askes an entrance fee. That is where the borders come closer to what we call mail-art or not. It has to do with the global intension I guess as well.

19) Why all the fuss about what IS or ISN'T mail art?

I am fairly new to the genre *and some would say there IS no genre officially* of mail art, and think that waaay too much discussion has been exhausted on what is mail art, what ISN'T mail art, what is the importance, why it's NOT important and so on...the whole thing is simply overwhelming. Can't we all just agree that mail art IS anything sent through the postal service to another person containing some form of artistic merit? It can be a stamp, faux postage, drawing, painting, collage, political commentary, social commentary or other societal topic using MAIL as the venue to present the IDEA, if not the art? All of us have a "set" description in our minds as to what we each consider "art" and if not art with a capital A then is it "craft"? Do we really even need a distinction? The high society of art dealers, critics, salespersons and collectors would say YES! But mail art has been an outsider type of art from the start. Right? Well, it's been said that Picasso mailed some small paper collages to his cohorts in his day and is this considered MAIL ART? Hmmm. I say we wrestle ourselves free from debating this whole art vs. non art discussion and just make what ever it is that moves us. What do you think?

6) No Questions? Just start to ask....

Well Mail-Artists. This is a blog where you can too publish your views and thoughts. Since there are now already some contributors who signed up, you will sure get some reactions. This Blog can be used to get the information you want to have. So far I seem to be the only to post here, So who is next? Get answers to the things you always wanted to know (and maybe get answers).

4) Digital contributions for a Mail-Art Project

A lot of Mail-Art projects are being started every month. Some accept also digital contributions, some only want to receive the real mail (snail-mail) as contribution. What is your view about this?

3) Catalogues

Because I am taking part in Mail-Art for a long time I also have quite a collection of catalogues. In the last years the new media also brought me CD-catalogs. The new catalogues are nowadays online websites and BLOGS. I know I still prefer the book-form although it is the most expensive form to publish the results of a project. Is this the way it will go in the future. Will Mail-Art more and more become a digital happening.

2) Doing Mail-Art or Talk about it?

Yes, I know that there are mail-artists who rather just DO mail-art and don't want to discuss the subject. I on the other hand, always have liked to discuss the subject. Mail-art is a bit broader than the regular projects that one sees online. Mail-Art is a conceptual art-form that comes out of the need to communicate. It also originates from the Fluxus Mvement and now stands on its own. Do i see these things right?

1) Mail Art Discussion

What is Mail-Art for you. What happened in the past, What are we doing now. What will mail-Art be like in the future? Lots of questions we could discuss on this blog. If you want to speak out. This one of the places for it....