41) Mail Art Books - Where are they?

To my knoledge in the last years there were only little publications on the subject mail-art. In the 90-ies there were some books written and published on the subject, but the new generations hardly knows about thee books. Also the accesibility of these book is low. They aren't available in libraries or bookshops........

What will happen. Do we need more books, will there eventually be more online that covers the area, or is there almost no new development in mail-art so books aren't needed? What do you think?

21) and this is definitely mail art!

Envie front

Art inside *front cover*

*back cover*
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This yummy surprise came from Mary Ann in Los Angeles whose blog is filled with mail art and other lively conversation. We exchanged mail art a few months back and I was lucky enough to receive this fun package filled with awesome art. Check her blog for more of her mail art!

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?