Christine Tarantino, GREEN SEEN Mail Art Curator
Rosie Heidkamp, Wendell Free Library Director
Imagine Peace, Yoko Ono
GREEN SEEN, M. Adrian Montagano installation, Herrick Room, Wendell Free LibraryAbove are a few photos from Mikihiko Hori's report, and below is most of his report. To view additional photos, please click the link to his flicker account link below.
"A group art show, "GREEN SEEN Mail Art", curated by Christine Tarantino and Richard Baldwin, was held at a small local library, Wendell Free Library in Wendell, Massachusetts, from December 21st, 2009 to March 21st, 2010. The essence of the show, "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" was to present a collage of designed postcards, which were submitted by people from various countries. The postcards, which added up to more than 250 pieces from 18 countries, were send to Wendell Free Library in response to the curators' request to submit original postcards for the display.
Wendell Free Library, located at 7 Wendell Depot Rd, Wendell, MA, is a small, local-community based library. Other than the regular spaces for reading and bookshelves, the library also has two major areas inside; namely, the Herrick Room, which is especially designed for meetings, workshops, classes, etc., and the Childrens Room, which is, of course, for children and is filled with toys and learning tools for kids. Outside the library, there is a playground as well, so that kids can play with the library's equipment such as swing-sets, a slide, a merry-go-round and so on.
The "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" show was conducted in one area inside the library. Two-hundred-fifty unique postcards, which were sent for the show from all over the world, were all presented and attached one after another in a crowded fashion onto a black fabric, hanging from the ceiling.
Moreover, on the floor, a tin trash can had been placed. On its surface, the word, "RECYCLE" and the triangle-shaped recycling symbol, had been painted in green, graffiti fashion. The above-mentioned black fabric which was hanging from the ceiling, goes down towards the trash can. Therefore, the whole presentation -- a trash can, black fabric and postcards attached to the fabric -- gives the impression that all these postcards are growing out of a trash can like a tree and, hence, the postcards looked like leaves on a tree. In addition, probably due to the fact that the overwhelming number of postcards were sent to the library, more than originally expected, there was no room left to post more postcards on the fabric. Therefore, some of the postcards were placed around and at the bottom of the trash can. The postcards on the floor looked like leaves falling from a tree.
Some of the postcards were a collage themselves, made out of clippings from a magazine and papers, and some were made with original drawings and paintings, accompanied with little comments or sentences. From a distance, the two-hundred-fifty postcards also looked like a bunch of messages written on pieces of paper which were hung on a clip board. With all these postcards, it seemed like all major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthday, came all at once.
Among the two-hundred-fifty postcards, it was not difficult to pick out a postcard which was sent for the show by Yoko Ono. Yoko's original postcard simply said, "IMAGINE PEACE yoko ono", black letters on a white background, along with her autograph, "love, Yoko".
Ms. Christine Tarantino, the curator of the show, said that she sent an invitation to Yoko's studio, asking for her contribution to the show. Sure 'nough, Yoko responded to Ms. Tarantino's request, and sent her "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard.
The format of Mail Art is now being re-valued and recognized as one medium for artists to present their works. Similar to the way Japanese Manga 漫画 art has been treated for a long time, Mail Art appears to not have been granted enough recognition and respect in the art world. However, again, Yoko is a pioneer in this field as well, and she launched her "Mail Art", back in the sixties. For instance, with "DRAW CIRCLE CARD" ('64 - '65), Yoko asked anonymous participants to send a postcard back to Yoko after having drawn their own original "circle" on it. Furthermore, with the event, "Yoko Ono's 13 Days Do-It-Yourself Dance Festival" ('67) in London, thirteen postcards, with Yoko's original drawings and instructions printed on them, were sent to participants. Art does not necessarily exist only with a format of canvas, nor in a museum or gallery. Before the modern Internet days, for starving artists, postcards must have been the cheapest but most suitable method and tool to allow their art to circulate faster.
Again, according to Ms. Tarantino, Yoko's "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard, which was posted among other postcards, was not the original she received. It was a "replica", which was color-photocopied from the original for fear of being stolen during the display. However, on March 20th, '10, one day before the "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" show was over, Ms. Tarantino brought Yoko's original "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard with her and posed with it for the camera. After having planted a tiny seed, Ms. Tarantino looked very happy to see how big the project turned out.
At the same time, on March 20th, '10, Yoko's original "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard was displayed in a frame on a table, right in front of the two-hundred-fifty postcards. Although this was not a solo Yoko show, with its presentation, it looked like Yoko gave an instruction, simply saying "IMAGINE PEACE", and then the outcome followed with the receipt of countless postcards from all over the world, as if the participants had "imagined" and had their own visions. Yes, we all have the power to materialize what we can imagine.
After the show at Wendell Free Library, "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" traveled to another venue, which is Baystate Franklin Medical Center, 164 High Street, Greenfield, MA. The Greenfield show started on April 1st and runs to May 17th, 2010. A random selection of 100 mail art pieces, including Yoko's "IMAGINE PEACE", are now framed and displayed in the chemotherapy treatment corridor inside the Medical Center.
Imagine no disease, 'cuz we don't need it. Imagine peace, 'cuz we need it."
Mikihiko Hori
You can see my [additional] photos of ""GREEN SEEN Mail Art" December 21 - March 21, 2010, Wendell Free Library, Wendell, Massachusetts", taken on March 20th, 2010, in my Flickr account at the URLs below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeyono2005/sets/72157623709418569/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeyono2005/sets/72157623709418569/show/
(Slide Show)
References:
http://www.wendellmass.us/index.php/wendell-free-library.html
("Wendell Free Library" website)
http://www.wendellmass.us/index.php/community/wendell-photo-gallery/category/8-library-green-seen-mail-art.html
("Wendell Photo Gallery - Library GREEN SEEN Mail Art")
http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=20080526809
("Yoko Ono's postcard to Wendell: Mail art overflows at Wendell library")
http://fluxusa.blogspot.com/2010/04/green-seen-update-april-1st.html
("1.4.10 GREEN SEEN update, April 1st")
Wendell Free Library, located at 7 Wendell Depot Rd, Wendell, MA, is a small, local-community based library. Other than the regular spaces for reading and bookshelves, the library also has two major areas inside; namely, the Herrick Room, which is especially designed for meetings, workshops, classes, etc., and the Childrens Room, which is, of course, for children and is filled with toys and learning tools for kids. Outside the library, there is a playground as well, so that kids can play with the library's equipment such as swing-sets, a slide, a merry-go-round and so on.
The "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" show was conducted in one area inside the library. Two-hundred-fifty unique postcards, which were sent for the show from all over the world, were all presented and attached one after another in a crowded fashion onto a black fabric, hanging from the ceiling.
Moreover, on the floor, a tin trash can had been placed. On its surface, the word, "RECYCLE" and the triangle-shaped recycling symbol, had been painted in green, graffiti fashion. The above-mentioned black fabric which was hanging from the ceiling, goes down towards the trash can. Therefore, the whole presentation -- a trash can, black fabric and postcards attached to the fabric -- gives the impression that all these postcards are growing out of a trash can like a tree and, hence, the postcards looked like leaves on a tree. In addition, probably due to the fact that the overwhelming number of postcards were sent to the library, more than originally expected, there was no room left to post more postcards on the fabric. Therefore, some of the postcards were placed around and at the bottom of the trash can. The postcards on the floor looked like leaves falling from a tree.
Some of the postcards were a collage themselves, made out of clippings from a magazine and papers, and some were made with original drawings and paintings, accompanied with little comments or sentences. From a distance, the two-hundred-fifty postcards also looked like a bunch of messages written on pieces of paper which were hung on a clip board. With all these postcards, it seemed like all major holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthday, came all at once.
Among the two-hundred-fifty postcards, it was not difficult to pick out a postcard which was sent for the show by Yoko Ono. Yoko's original postcard simply said, "IMAGINE PEACE yoko ono", black letters on a white background, along with her autograph, "love, Yoko".
Ms. Christine Tarantino, the curator of the show, said that she sent an invitation to Yoko's studio, asking for her contribution to the show. Sure 'nough, Yoko responded to Ms. Tarantino's request, and sent her "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard.
The format of Mail Art is now being re-valued and recognized as one medium for artists to present their works. Similar to the way Japanese Manga 漫画 art has been treated for a long time, Mail Art appears to not have been granted enough recognition and respect in the art world. However, again, Yoko is a pioneer in this field as well, and she launched her "Mail Art", back in the sixties. For instance, with "DRAW CIRCLE CARD" ('64 - '65), Yoko asked anonymous participants to send a postcard back to Yoko after having drawn their own original "circle" on it. Furthermore, with the event, "Yoko Ono's 13 Days Do-It-Yourself Dance Festival" ('67) in London, thirteen postcards, with Yoko's original drawings and instructions printed on them, were sent to participants. Art does not necessarily exist only with a format of canvas, nor in a museum or gallery. Before the modern Internet days, for starving artists, postcards must have been the cheapest but most suitable method and tool to allow their art to circulate faster.
Again, according to Ms. Tarantino, Yoko's "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard, which was posted among other postcards, was not the original she received. It was a "replica", which was color-photocopied from the original for fear of being stolen during the display. However, on March 20th, '10, one day before the "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" show was over, Ms. Tarantino brought Yoko's original "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard with her and posed with it for the camera. After having planted a tiny seed, Ms. Tarantino looked very happy to see how big the project turned out.
At the same time, on March 20th, '10, Yoko's original "IMAGINE PEACE" postcard was displayed in a frame on a table, right in front of the two-hundred-fifty postcards. Although this was not a solo Yoko show, with its presentation, it looked like Yoko gave an instruction, simply saying "IMAGINE PEACE", and then the outcome followed with the receipt of countless postcards from all over the world, as if the participants had "imagined" and had their own visions. Yes, we all have the power to materialize what we can imagine.
After the show at Wendell Free Library, "GREEN SEEN Mail Art" traveled to another venue, which is Baystate Franklin Medical Center, 164 High Street, Greenfield, MA. The Greenfield show started on April 1st and runs to May 17th, 2010. A random selection of 100 mail art pieces, including Yoko's "IMAGINE PEACE", are now framed and displayed in the chemotherapy treatment corridor inside the Medical Center.
Imagine no disease, 'cuz we don't need it. Imagine peace, 'cuz we need it."
Mikihiko Hori
You can see my [additional] photos of ""GREEN SEEN Mail Art" December 21 - March 21, 2010, Wendell Free Library, Wendell, Massachusetts", taken on March 20th, 2010, in my Flickr account at the URLs below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeyono2005/sets/72157623709418569/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeyono2005/sets/72157623709418569/show/
(Slide Show)
References:
http://www.wendellmass.us/index.php/wendell-free-library.html
("Wendell Free Library" website)
http://www.wendellmass.us/index.php/community/wendell-photo-gallery/category/8-library-green-seen-mail-art.html
("Wendell Photo Gallery - Library GREEN SEEN Mail Art")
http://www.recorder.com/story.cfm?id_no=20080526809
("Yoko Ono's postcard to Wendell: Mail art overflows at Wendell library")
http://fluxusa.blogspot.com/2010/04/green-seen-update-april-1st.html
("1.4.10 GREEN SEEN update, April 1st")
2 comments:
excellent article
wow ! the tird photo is so cool !!
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