Remember when we used to write letters? It isn’t that long ago really but many of us have forgotten the art. We are used to that fast click satisfaction of a slight interaction with another human being. Not so long ago writing letters was the only way that you could communicate and it took time; you had to sit down and write and then you had to place the letter in an envelope and post it.
There was a time when I used to be really excited when the postman came, because there might be a letter from a penfriend you were writing to, or even a postcard. Not just bills or junk mail. Then you would have the letters that came from your gran or older aunt. That frail shaky hand persevering to make a mark on that fancy letter set in elegant cursive writing. Eligible or not the letters were beautiful, sometimes smelling like Lace Eau De Parfum.
I started a project with my partner, that never came into fruition, with the fires and then Covid. The idea was to leave the letters in public spaces like coffee shops; or the places where you can normally leave flyers or even in letterboxes. Each letter was to be enclosed in an envelope and addressed to: the undisclosed recipient. Inside we wrote random letters to imaginary people hoping to strike a chord with people and their memories of writing or reading letters, hoping to reignite the desire to write again to somebody in their life. The tactile sense of writing and holding a piece of paper in ones hand, the smell of that paper, the way the ink sets on that paper, the look of that paper.
Over the years I have written to friends and some friends and I would even send each other mail art. It is not something new, it is a movement that has been happening since the 1960’s with the Fluxus movement and even as early as the 1950’s with Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Scwitters of the Surrealist and Dadaist movements. Essentially mail art is any form of art that is made with the intention of sending it through the mail.
Since having these lockdowns, I have been thinking about the effects of people being stuck inside their homes and the sense of isolation it creates; feeling alone in the world. I had an idea of sending mail art to my friends as a way to cheer them up or bring a bit of joy to their day, but I want to extend my idea to strangers in the hope that it will create a difference to someones day. Especially as the days meld into one another and the motions of eat sleep wake become the center of ones existence. Having that thing that stands out in a day may just have an uplifting effect on someone, to realize they are not alone and they are being thought of. Creativity is very important during these times, it keeps you going, keeps your mind active especially if you are stuck inside and creativity is accessible even in a lockdown.
Mail Art Project : Letters In Lockdown
Everyone is welcome to participate in this project, all ages, all skill levels and all walks of life.
But please no prejudice, no pornography and no offensive images.
The aim of this project is to create an art work that will fit into an envelope. I would then like the participants to photograph their art work (mail art) before posting it (in the mail) to a friend or stranger.
The project is open to interpretation, but having the project title in mind it could be about how you feel, what you want to share, words of encouragement, you could write a poem or your response could be abstract.
My objective is hoping that the act of being creative can help to break down the cycle of lockdown blues but also bring a moment of happiness to another person.
If you have an instagram account – could you then post your mail art photograph on instagram and #renewedspiritmailart so it can go into a collective of images.
Size: Artwork should be able to fit in an envelope
Style: Drawing – Painting – Photographic Art – Collage Art – Textile Art – Words
Materials: Any materials can be used, but preferably post consumer materials from your immediate environment.
Deadline: No deadline ongoing for now
Here is an example of some mail art I have made to get your creative juices flowing. I have been using repurposed materials to make my mail art; old clothing pattern off cuts, gardening magazine, thread and fabric scraps, old children’s books and any other scrap I can find in the house to make art work with.
Here are some mail art artists for more ideas.