Can we make it so that if we map how the art travels it looks like a bunny?

November 5, 2007 4:04 PM

Mefi mail art. Via MeCha. Who's down?

A bunch of MeCha bunnies are in.

We could do this two ways:
1. Sequential snailmail exquisite corpse (as I originally suggested): one of us starts, passes it on.
2. Parallel SEC: all of us start off at the same time and snailmail it to the next Mefite.

2'll keep the ocd add amongst us drugged and happy and produce lotsa 'mail art pics' MeTa posts.
1'll result in a giant collaborative piece and fewer pics.

I'm thinking 2. Whaddaya say?

And join in! No lower artistic talent bound.

posted by sushiwiththejury to MetaFilter-Related at 4:04 PM (55 comments total)

I'll join in. I've been pretty flakey about this kind of project in the past. I will use this as an opportunity to make art and de-flake. 2 sounds good to me, but I'm game for anything.
posted by Marit at 4:11 PM on November 5, 2007

How about a theme?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 4:37 PM on November 5, 2007

I say no theme. Go nuts.
Hive mind decides.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 4:47 PM on November 5, 2007

I'm in, but I'm all NaNoWriMo-ing just now! So, yes, I'm for 2, but be aware I may be a bit behind you guys!
posted by misha at 4:57 PM on November 5, 2007

I'm down with it. I did some online exquisite corpses once and always wanted to try my hand at real ones.

Um...paper ones.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:05 PM on November 5, 2007

Hey, this sounds like fun, but I'm not sure I understand the mission. How exactly can I participate? I can draw bunnies, does that help?
posted by snsranch at 5:07 PM on November 5, 2007

This sounds fun. How do I get in on this fun?
posted by aubilenon at 5:17 PM on November 5, 2007

This is an interesting thing!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:25 PM on November 5, 2007

If this happens, I'm in.

For 2, are we talking a (partial) circuit among the participants? So with, say, 10 people each starting a package, and maybe four steps per package if we're doing Exquisite Corpse or something similar, so that each of the ten would take four "turns" as the packages move around through the mail?
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:40 PM on November 5, 2007

hmm, ok.

you heard of postsecret? this is kinda like postsecret. except: you don't need to post any secrets. it needn't be a postcard, can be anything mailable. you don't need to be a master draftsman. heck, you don't even need to draw!

theora55 has agreed (on mecha) to coordinate this mess. i've mefimailed her, she should drop in soon.

hmm, we need a seed here, something to jumpstart this thing.

i nominate....emrjkc'94!

throw something at us you sweatymangaminsuperstar.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 5:42 PM on November 5, 2007

I am now scared of this thing!
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 5:43 PM on November 5, 2007

Yeah, I'm a intrigued and slightly confused (such is my life). We just make some freeform art and mail it to someone else?
posted by spiderskull at 6:03 PM on November 5, 2007

For 2, are we talking a (partial) circuit among the participants?

Yeah, it'll probably end up this way, right? I mean I'm in Jakarta - mdonley's in Riga - so I figure not too many ppl'll want to mail us shit :-(

I think we should do partial circuits and mix it up: i.e no islands and everyone's a member of > 1 circuit.

Can one of you setup a mailing list?
posted by sushiwiththejury at 6:04 PM on November 5, 2007

We just make some freeform art and mail it to someone else?

yes, and the next one adds to it / subtracts from it / messes with it and passes it on. basically snialmail exquisite corpse in 3D meatspace.

(ideally) each mefite takes a picture 'before and after'
ripe for shoutouts, injokes, puzzles, mefi historical references etc.

i've been all like 'why have structure? freedom from frames!'. but dunno. if someone has a sweet plan and a theme i'd think about it.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 6:16 PM on November 5, 2007

I'm totally down with mailin' shit, but what to mail? And where to? I'm a better sculptor but I can paint and draw a bit.
posted by snsranch at 6:18 PM on November 5, 2007

but what to mail? And where to?
let theora55 get here. she'll get us organised.

oh man, i hate ridin this thread. help me out, people!
posted by sushiwiththejury at 6:21 PM on November 5, 2007

I'll do it. I'm qualified "No lower artistic talent bound!"
posted by substrate at 6:32 PM on November 5, 2007

OK. I'll keep checkin' this thread. This really does sound like some crazy artistic fun.
posted by snsranch at 7:00 PM on November 5, 2007

Yeah mine is likely to be a houseware, artified.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:01 PM on November 5, 2007

I'm cautiously curious, and could possibly become interested.
posted by CKmtl at 7:44 PM on November 5, 2007

I'll give it a go.
posted by midwesttransplant at 7:44 PM on November 5, 2007

So I started a page on the Mefi wiki: Mail Art. It looks pretty bad; I could use some help!

Throw in thoughts/ideas.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 8:00 PM on November 5, 2007

"basically snialmail exquisite corpse in 3D meatspace"
This was supposed to be an explanation?
posted by nowonmai at 8:24 PM on November 5, 2007

This was supposed to be an explanation?
ugh. yeah, very doctorow. delete the line and read on?
posted by sushiwiththejury at 9:02 PM on November 5, 2007

Sounds fun! I'd be in, once some of the details are fleshed out.
posted by tickingclock at 9:38 PM on November 5, 2007

Wow, two great things I suck at, that I together would suck at more.

The Wiki entry for mail art to which you linked has way too many words and not enough pictures (zero) to explain this concept to me. Is it just drawing on envelopes?
posted by Eideteker at 10:06 PM on November 5, 2007

The Wiki entry for mail art to which you linked has way too many words
hm, yeah, the wiki's a bit verbose. slightly better: 1 2 3

Is it just drawing on envelopes?
i see it as: anything that can be mailed counts as base material. envelopes/converse sneakers/the fedex box itself with nothing inside/an animated gif printed out as a flipbook/etc.

you don't have to draw/paint - i was thinking of putting the variables from katullus' profile on a rubik's cube.

also by my clunky '3D meatspace' i mean that online ex. corpses are two dimensional - like sheets of paper. we can snailmail stuff with volume - sculpture like snsranch said - hence 3D.

also: in addition to types 1 and 2, we could have type 3: where we all make shit and mail it to one address.

i have some ideas:

type 3: a chess set: each one us makes a piece, perhaps? i'll gladly knit the chessboard.

type 2/1: puppets. you build a limb/torso/head, pass it on.

pls populate the wiki
posted by sushiwiththejury at 10:55 PM on November 5, 2007

At first I was all giddy, but then I remembered Guatemalan postage rates, and the notoriously flaky service. So maybe something more "paper-based" would work for me, and maybe others?
posted by papafrita at 11:39 PM on November 5, 2007

I'm in the process of moving over the next two months, so something smaller or more manageable is better on this end...

If it is postcard-sized roughly speaking, sign me up. This sounds like a whole lotta fun!
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:30 AM on November 6, 2007

I'm down with postcardish things. I make no guarantees as to their artistic merit or legibility, however.
posted by Xoder at 5:55 AM on November 6, 2007

I still don't quite understand, but am intrigued by your newsletter. I'm hoping for a smashing success that spawns a "next time".
posted by and hosted from Uranus at 7:53 AM on November 6, 2007

I haven't done anything like this in years and would love to do it again.
posted by pointystick at 9:28 AM on November 6, 2007

I am so totally in.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 9:54 AM on November 6, 2007

I'm willing to give it a go, too.
posted by doubtful_guest at 12:30 PM on November 6, 2007

I made some things. Now... where do I mail them?
posted by Marit at 1:28 PM on November 7, 2007

I'm about to make some things. Yes! Where should I send mine?
posted by misha at 10:10 AM on November 8, 2007

We now have a Google Group: Mefi Mail Art.

Join in. If you'd rather do this via email, drop me a line. Email in profile.

So we're starting this off with Marit sending me some shit (hopefully with giant anteaters in em) and I'll mess with it and pass it on to whoever says yay next.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 7:48 PM on November 14, 2007

Ooh, I'm in!
posted by annaramma at 12:21 PM on November 15, 2007

After skimming very very briefly, I want in too!
posted by jinjo at 12:37 PM on November 15, 2007

I'm down as well...especially since a lack of artistic ability seems happily acceptable...whoo!
posted by evadery at 1:42 PM on November 15, 2007

Whoo-hoo! I'm in!
posted by Mamapotomus at 3:19 PM on November 15, 2007

I'm in!
posted by nkknkk at 4:19 PM on November 15, 2007

You can also post this call for mail art on mailart.org. There is an entire underground artist collective that does nothing but participate in mail art shows all around the world. Way cool!
posted by 45moore45 at 9:12 PM on November 15, 2007

No lower artistic talent bound.

So there's an upper? HA! Call me when you need talent!

_{I don't have any.}
posted by !Jim at 7:17 AM on November 16, 2007

Wow, I totally missed this thread until sushiwtj emailed me.

So, here's the proposal: you send me your postal address. I create 'circuits' of about 6 - 8 people each. You all carete mailable art and send to each member of your circuit. If you want to be in more than 1 circuit, just let me know. Only the members of your circuit will get your postal address. My mail carrier delivers stuff to Theora Fifty-five (as far as I know) but you should check and if your mail carrier requires your RL name, please supply it. This will all be much easier if people have email addresses in profiles, or have signed up for MeFi Mail.
posted by theora55 at 9:19 AM on November 16, 2007

carete s/b create

It kind of sucks when people sign up and do not send stuff, so pretty please, send something, even if it's not the Sistine Chapel. If you do send the Sistine Chapel, make sure I'm in your circuit.
posted by theora55 at 9:21 AM on November 16, 2007

theora55 sweet.
can y'all pls take it to the google group? i added a page called circuits which you can populate.

pls play by the rules
posted by sushiwiththejury at 10:21 AM on November 16, 2007

Yeah I want some annarama swag!!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:25 AM on November 16, 2007

Could someone who is slightly more in charge than me do a quick, step-by-step 'how to'? I found it a bit obtuse. I think what you want is:

1. Update one's google groups profile to include a link to one's meta profile.
2. Add oneself to the circuit, at the bottom.
3. When you have the art, e-mail the person next on the list to get their meatspace address.
4. Make art.
5. Send art.
6. (possibly?) make a mark on the circuit list to show that you have it (maybe bold yourself?) /have sent it. (maybe italics yourself.)

If I'm wrong, correct me?
posted by cobaltnine at 2:37 PM on November 17, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm in.
posted by stagewhisper at 11:51 AM on November 18, 2007

This sounds like a smashing idea. I´d be heading the 0 artistic talent group, but I enjoy making things and enjoy mail, so let the bumbling through the art project commense!
posted by eponymouse at 4:46 PM on November 18, 2007

I was once an expert mail-artist, if I do say so myself, pre-email and unemployed. I once constructed a valentine out of balsa wood, hardware, telephone wire, and covered it in sandpaper, and managed to send it in the mail (the recipient was gobsmocked.) I made my own stamps, for chrissakes (this was before stamps.com, naturally.)

Nowadays I've got the kid, the job, the whatever, but dagnabit, I'd love to be in. But gosh darn it all, I just don't want to sit here and deal w/ a google groups thing because it doesn't work in Safari and I'd have to sign in on Firefox, and it just seems so anti-mail-art to do all that. Can someone just send me a list of ten addresses to send my wares to?
posted by DenOfSizer at 2:17 PM on November 19, 2007

Okay, neat. I mailed some stuff to sushiwiththejury. Wow DenOfSizer, that sounds really cool.. I just made some drawings. Gah, feelings of inadequacy!
posted by Marit at 5:17 PM on November 19, 2007

DenOfSizer, I'll MefiMail you.

And yeah, I'll get my shit together and send out an email to everyone by this weekend.
posted by sushiwiththejury at 11:47 AM on November 21, 2007

Wheee! I'll go join the group directly. I love mail art. Anybody else remember nervousness.org?
posted by Fenriss at 1:58 PM on November 21, 2007