What is "Mail Art"?

"Mail Art" is hard to define as one thing because every mail artist would give you a different definition. Essentially, it's a big international network of people who exchange artwork and ideas via the postal service. Mail art in simplest terms is one person sending another person something that they have created. In more complex terms, there are mail art shows where hundreds of people send in work according to a specific theme. All of the work that is sent in is displayed in some manner and everyone who participates gets "documentation"--a list of all the artists, and possibly a catalog of the artwork. Announcements for these shows are distributed within the network (often to people who have participated in past shows), and not from any central location. It is democratic art at its best. Pop artist Ray Johnson is considered the originator of the network- in the 1950's he shunned the gallery-dealer-museum system of conventional art and started sending his artwork to people for free, often for no apparent reason. Sometimes he would prompt the recipients to change the piece in some way and pass it on to a third person, setting in motion a chain of contact which continues to this day. Ray Johnson committed suicide in 1995, but some of the pieces which Ray originated are still in circulation. Mail art seeks to break down the division between audience and artist-- anyone can be a mail artist, and have their work shown in a mail art show, regardless of academic credentials or technical skill- all you need is a stamp.

Personal Demons

The Art of Barbara Cooper

babzilla Barbara Cooper (also known as Fine Art Rorschach) was a wonderful artist and a kind person. She was one of my favorite artist pen pals, sending me thick envelopes full of multiple-page handwritten letters and stacks of photos of her work. Through those letters, I learned a lot about her life and her work. She was also passionate about social issues, art and had a brilliant sense of humor. She would write about her adventures and daily experiences in a way that was fascinating to read. She had a difficult life for much of the time I knew her, suffering with Hepatitis C, a disease which caused her so much suffering that she eventually took her own life in 2007.

Here are some of the photos of her paintings she sent me. I was also extremely grateful that she sent me two small paintings after our daughter was born, which are on display in our living room. I miss her greatly.

The Paintings

Ceci N'est Pas Moi

Ceci N'est Pas Moi

All images are copyright © 1998 The Estate of Barbara Cooper.

A Tribute to Barbara by Addadada

An excellent website of Barbara Cooper's early work

© 1998, Ken B. Miller & Contributors as Listed. | Reproduced from Shouting at the Postman #31, October, 1998 | 14125

These ads help support my website