Friday, May 31, 2013

Heebee Post #1002 - Otto Sherman - New York, New York - USA

 You never know who you will find next on one of Otto's stamps and he likes to mix it up a lot between political figures and popular people.  In the above postcard, the late Hugo Chavez rants it up on a "Poste Vatican" stamp. He enjoys being irreverent to those he thinks deserve such treatment.

 I was surprised to see this bygone bloke making it onto an Otto creation. It's none other than the beloved Captain Sensible!  This fellow is one of my all time favorite characters and I am a huge fan of his. He helped formed The Damned in 1976 and went on to record solo adventures which I adored. Click on that link back there to see the Captain playing guitar in his legendary Akapi suit!  Killer stamp Otto!
 Otto's sense of humor seems to span a full spectrum of creations. Some, like the above, are merry and light hearted. He can also become quite seriously sarcastic and cynical, although I really haven't seen him wreak visual havoc on anybody that didn't somehow warrant it


These were actually stickers - and there were many more of them.  Curiously, "Danke Wolfgang Skodd" is printed on the bottom of each one.  I know he and Wolf have an interesting rapport - are these collaborative?






The Donald in full regalia.  Ever consider what it would be like to have this determined fellow as president of the U.S.A.? Dear God!

The fearless stamp creator has hundreds of new stamps. In his own words: "My output is gargantuan".

 Otto is at his best with controversial subjects.



This American Woman may be in a bit of a spot these days - on the other hand, she makes for a gorgeous stamp!
 I have quite a lovely collection of Otto's popular stamp sheets. They are glorious!

Some of Otto's creative stamp making are truly breathtaking.
Thank you very much Otto - The countless contributions to Heebee Jeebeeland are loved and appreciated mightily.  See you in the mail my friend.  Otto Art..

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Heebee Post #1001 - Cascade Artpost (Jack Lattemann) - Olympia, Washington - USA

 Some amazing detail from from Jack's  "1 Motico" - Eternal Network Fluxus certificate (below). If you peer closely at the above image, you can just make out the figure (Ray Johnson?) in the center, standing atop a large pile of of scattered lumber with the word "Fluxus" displayed. Jack is a real stickler for fine detail.
 The certificate itself is an incredible achievement - printed on fine "Rag Paper", similar to real U.S. dollars, these certificates look and feel like authentic currency. Cascade Artpost is just bursting and bubbling with class!
 The "2 Moticos" certificate is another lesson in fine printing artisanship.  Pretty hard to surpass Jack in this area - When I met Jack at the AARPEX , last November in Seattle, he was in the company of some of the best of the best of the Faux Philatelic creators: Carl Chew, Dogfish (Robbie Rudine), E.F. Higgins, Jas Felter, etc. - a room full of giants!  I was deeply impressed - so much so,  that I, perhaps foolishly,  vowed to be  among their ranks someday. Well folks, I still have a long way to go! (But I am slowly catching up)! And by the way, if you would like to know more about what a Motico is, try here: Moticos to Mail Art..
 A Cascadia Artpost envelope always captures an odd sophistication, as does it's creator. Those "Fluxus Libris" Artistamps are actually a delicate silver.



I wish the fine detail of the "New Fluxus Symbol Set #18 was a little bit clearer - it certainly is when seeing it close up, in person.  Obviously Jack is having a lot of fun and it is infectious!


I thought I might show just a little bit more of the glorious Fluxus detail Jack generously supplies! Terrific stuff!  Thank you Jack - I'll be framing these handsome certificates. See you in the mail - And how about lunch or dinner sometime? - You are only 25 miles away!                                                                                                             Cascadia Artpost

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Heebee Post #1000 - William L. Philyaw - Shawnee, Kansas - USA

A Momentous Occaision
Wow, I really must declare that I'm feeling pretty delighted to have finally reached my 1,000th  posting. A big part of that delight is William's spectacular  Heebee Jeebee Air Mail stamp that just oozes with that odd Philyaw sense of mystical Danger/Adventure.  I love the "4" and the "D" in the corners (4th Dimension) and the exquisite background coloring. Fantastic job William and thank you very much.  Addressee.
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I would also like to thank everybody that has participated and/or has been a reader of this Blog.  You guys have made it all a lot of fun for me and I hope to tell you that the next 1,000 postings shall be just as much fun, if not even more so (I know, how could that even be possible?).  Life in the 4th Dimension is still a gas!
See you all in the mail.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Heebee Post #999 - Rachel Carter - Mason, Michigan - USA

 First time visitor to Heebee Jeebeeland, Rachel Carter sure gets down to the nitty gritty of the noble Maple. I am enjoying the wild Botanical jungle of cellular reproduction and growth she has created in homage to the classy tree.
When art and science collide, as in the above panel, it can be a visual knockout.  The orange and green is a color theme that is difficult to not like.  This is a splendid postcard to receive in the midst of Spring. "From the earliest cells of the root cap" is a splendid debut from Rachel as she is warmly added to the ranks of the 4th Dimension. Great job Rachel - All hail the mighty Maple!  See you in the mail soon.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Heebee Post #998 - Eduardo ZenDada Cardoso - Sines - Portugal

At rest while at play, Eduardo's : "Numerical State of Silence" seems to be a mechanism of the darkness ( the "Negativity Zone") subduing the business of fruitful activity and happiness - The exact opposite expectation of evolution.  A succinct observation of  mediocrity or even depression. I think what Eddie is saying here, by virtue of displaying the dark side so prominently is to, as Todd Rundgren used to say,  "Add a little sparkle while we're here!". Yes folks, ZenDada strikes again!  
Eddie's handsomely decorated paranormal envelope has a distinct inter-dimensional flavor to it. The rubber stamping of the petulant Yeti (Bigfoot) has been appearing on Eduardo's envelopes for sometime and still feels freshly strange and spirit filled.  A great envelope!
Eduardo included the "actual" snap of the creature in question. I, by the way,  live in "Bigfoot Country" - Similar stories from around the world about giant and elusive ape-like humans include the Yeren of China, the Yeti of the Himalaya mountains, the Yowie of Australia and the Mapinguari of South America. In December 2002 Ray Wallace of Centralia, Washington died and his family claimed that Ray started Bigfoot frenzy in 1958 when he left behind giant footprints (made with special shoes carved from alder wood) near a logging site as a practical joke.  But, who can know for sure? Thank you for the terrific mail art Eduardo - See you in the mail.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Heebee Post #997 - Dorian Ribas Marinho - Florianopolis, Santa Catarina Island - Brazil

 Dorian nicely illustrates one of the odd urban legends that used to confound  a lot of folks: Plumbers kind of lead secret lives since they are most often out of sight in the basement, under the building or just being alone in a kitchen or bathroom. In any event, Plumbers know things unto themselves that are rarely shared with other professions.  For example, the unusual wrenches seen above are special tools only a hearty plumber would own. Ever heard of "Egyptian torque"? - These wrenches can deliver an incredible amount of  force. Now everybody knows - Doesn't matter, no one believes in Egyptian torque anyway!
 The second of a set of four works - each printed onto a peel off sticker.  Is the Professor using a Rapidograph pen to accomplish these.? Can't quite tell, but the prints are nicely done - Looks like somebody will not be able to forget whatever he is trying to remember




This altered snap of the Artist was also included in the package.

 The above piece is somehow making me long for the sunny days of summer.
 Dorian's" Sea Portals" is a perspective skewing, Escher-like print that I would love to walk through into an oceanic bliss.
Thank you very much Dorian - I am enjoying your works and am looking forward to future exchanges. See you in the mail!.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Heebee Post #996 - RCBz - St. Clown, Minnesota - USA

 Nice to see Roy and his friend hamming it up with the  "Great Horned" stare down stunt.  I cannot help but to wonder, could this be the "Smith" that he refers to from time to time?  Sure seems like his "Partenaire dans l'esprit de l'art" from the appearance of the shared unusually creative conduct.  It is difficult to describe Roy except to say that his wit is as sharp as a surgeon's scalpel and he wields it as if it were. I'm sure glad we're friends!

Egads!, that is quite the visage. Thank goodness for the border on the postcard so we can be sure this sobering creature is only a harmless prank and not some kind of "Talon Man" that runs amok in Saint Clown, disemboweling those that flail in mediocrity.

 Thank you very much Roy  and I hope you have a Pet Store nearby to supply some small rodents for your guest!  Great card - See you in the mail old boy. RCBz's mail art creations and exhortations.

PS: Heebee Jeebeeland gratefully salutes all those who served!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Heebee Post #995 - Lotro Poku (Lothar Trott) - Zurich - Switzerland

In my opinion, Lotro Poku and I are really a lot alike.  Our techniques and styles are markedly different, but we sure seem to be riding the same exuberant wave of consciousness .  Certainly we both have a strong affection for the classic "Fluxus Affair" girl,  seen above in all her mail art splendor!  I was working with this image a couple of years ago (see the original postcard over on the right margin) - but Lotro says: "We're done with it when I say we're done with it"!  Heh-heh.  Lothar goes on to tell a tale of a sort of  Heebee Jeebee tribute: 
 Thank you my dear friend.  And yes, Pokuland and Heebee Jeebeeland lie in vastly different, although parallel universes stitched together by our mutual admiration and our art. In spirit, they are identical.
It's like getting mail from my jolly old Dada-ist uncle. I like the "Art is not my business" artistamp seen in the center of the envelope.  I know exactly what he means.  When art is my 'business',  I seem to enjoy it less and am obliged to create something someone else will certainly dig - therefore often creating things that seem more like drudgery. I am, like Lotro, too far along the road to care about being ambitious in any regard of commercial artistic sense - leaving one to liberate fun from it's "spare time only" cage. Or something like that........  
 Lotro's old school Dada remains fresh within a category of artistic departure that only an intimate affiliation with the genre (mail art) over a long period of time can fathom - a really long time.
 Thank you so much dear Lotro - I salute Pokuland  and it's fearless leader.  It is with a big smile that I can say to you so many times over the years: "See you in the mail"!

Heebee Post #994 - Mr. Colori (The Museum of Instant Images) - Chaam - The Netherlands

 Mr. Colri sends in the second of three mail calls for 3 great Dutch painters. 2012 was Van Gogh - 2013 - Jheronimus (Aka: Hieronymus) Bosch is the current project. And finally, 2014 - Bruegel.  This particular call is entitled "Visions of Bosch".
 The above panel discusses the various parameters of the call.  If you are interested in showing at the exhibition in November, please remember that the work should relate to one of the works of Bosch.  Online gallery on the Interenet : boschvisions.blogspot.com. (under construction).


I thought it might be a good idea to show an example of Bosch's disquieting work.  This is a small portion of the classic 3 paneled "Garden of Earthly Delights".  Anything is possible in his colorfully depraved depictions. Click on the image to get a better look.




 Here,  we see Bosch himself in a self portrait late in his life. Nothing is known of his personality or his thoughts or the meaning of his art. He left behind no letters or diaries.
Thank you very much Mr. Colori - I'm going to get started on a surrealistic Bosch style contribution for your super project.  See you in the mail!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Heebee Post #993 - Bruno Chiarlone - Cairo Montenotte - Italy

 Bruno sends in this noble and poignant postcard commemorating the great experimental art giant Shozo Shimamoto (1928 - 2013). Adorned in the colors of la bandiera Italiana (Italian flag) - it pays a sincere tribute to the legendary artist.


New York Times article by art critic Roberta Smith: "ART VIEW; When Art Became a Stage and Artists Actors" (April 5, 1998). She names Shimamoto as among the most daring experimentalists on the international art scene:"Perhaps driven by the exhilarating mixture of relief, freedom and despair that followed the end of World War II, artists around the world had been experimenting with newly physical, sometimes violent, cathartic ways of making paintings and sculptures. Others were also staging what they called events, or actions or performances that sometimes were as destructive as they were creative.
And in Japan, Shozo Shimamoto was symbolically penetrating the sacrosanct picture plane of painting by throwing himself through several layers of rice paper, leaving traces of the event -- the hole surrounded by jagged shards of paper -- as the work of art."

The wonderful Avant Garde artist shall be sorely missed by the entire world - but his myriad of works live on in many international museums and galleries.
 Meanwhile, back to Bruno's postcard.  This noble looking "2014 - CENTENARIO DI CAVELLINI" artistamp is a beautiful remembrance of the fabled Italian artist. Bruno really has the knack for rendering his images to somehow be perceived as important and meaningful - his artistic alchemy is always in full gear.  Myself and a legion of others around the world are waiting anxiously for the celebration of a Cavellini's 100th birthday (even though he has been gone for some time).  More on that as the event draws nearer.

Thank you very much Bruno, I love Shimamoto and Cavellini too. They were both monuments to mail art as well as their individual contemporary art scenes.
See you in the mail my friend.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Heebee Post #992 - Vizma bruns - Waitpinga, South Australia - Australia

 Recently, I sent out about a dozen or so special edition commemorative postcards regarding the legalization of Marijuana in the state of Washington.  I realize that not everybody will appreciate this new law but, I also know that there are a vast number of folks that do - Anyway, this anguish ridden, altered "Hemp" card arrives as a response to my Pot postcard. This card hearkens back to the "Reefer Madness" mentality that prevailed in the 1930's and 40's.  Good job Vizma! And, if there is anyone who would also like to own one of the Marijuana commemoratives I created (not shown)- please let me know and I shall happily send one out to you!  It is a pretty cool card - even if you are not of that persuasion.
I love receiving postal art from the more spirited artists - Vizma is indeed one of the more spirited. Is the "Not all who wander are lost" meaning those who have partaken in the now legal indulgence? "Bon Voyage", "The Journey" "Trips" and "Hemp" - where did she get all those relevant rubber stamps? Well Vizma, thank you very much and see you in the mail my friend!