Monday, August 11, 2014

Twilight Zone Fortune Cards as Mail Art: The Destiny of Things, Story 229

Twilight Zone Fortune Cards as Mail Art:  The Destiny of Things, Story 229

I just love these and would like to use them in my art one day!

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy
 available here

Here's the email I received:

Thank you for my order - I'll need to get a magnifying glass to fully appreciate what they say!  I'm not sure quite what I'll do with them other than incorporate them into mail art somehow.
 
Best Wishes


Mail art!  That sounds interesting!  What is mail art?  So I looked it up on wiki:

Mail art (also known as Postal art and Correspondence art) is a populist artistic movement centered around sending small scale works through the postal service. It initially developed out of the Fluxus movement in the 1950s and 60s, though it has since developed into a global movement that continues to the present. The American artist Ray Johnson is considered to be the first mail artist, and the New York Correspondence School that he developed is considered the first self-conscious network of mail artists.

I love Ray Johnson's art and have the DVD about him called, "How to Draw a Bunny." A fascinating and funny artist who made a ton of art through his life and from the movie remember his "moticos."

I also remember from the movie that Ray Johnson loved to negotiate the prices on his art and once an art dealer asked for a 25% percent discount which Ray Johnson agreed to and the the art piece came without a corner or about 25% of it missing. I'll have to watch it again and find his art piece.


image via ACRAVAN



 I can't seem to find my favorite pieces of his at the moment.

 Here are mail art I found on pinterest that inspires me:

 photo via pinterest

photo via badbooks

This comes mailed to you from the UK and looks like this on the inside:


photo via badbooks
 The ultimate in mail art!

Saying Goodbye:  I'd love to see these fortune papers on mail art! Odd how mail art sounded so unknown to me until I looked it up because I used to have a huge collection of mail art!  An entire apple crate full of it from my childhood until about 5 years ago!

I saved any envelope with fancy lettering or art on it or drawing, even just people's writings I liked and stamps too!   And throughout my childhood to college I had many penpals, friends and relatives who wrote to me on a regular basis.  Now that is one box I regret throwing away.

Through high school I had two friends and we'd write letters with our opposite writing hands almost weekly for years!

photo via JunkDrawerLoveEtsy
 available here


What I Learned:

1.  Some things are just irreplaceable, but I have no idea what I would have done with those letter if I still had them and quite frankly still have tons of other hoard to deal with and other things from my past I'd like to find, like the Valentine sample I made in kindergarten.

2.  And even though I just love these fortune papers from the Twilight Zone episode of Nick in Time, I really have no ideas how to use them in my art, although I do use them as tags when I wrap up gifts.  The little punched out circle has a slit and the fortune slips easily on to ribbon or twine to add a vintage look.

Which things can you remember you wish you still had that are irreplaceable?  As a recovering hoarder, I can think of plenty!

Thank you Etsy buyer for your email story and bringing back mail art to me and Ray Johnson's art.  I hope you are having fun creating mail art with the fortune papers.

Thank you Etsy for helping me let go of 799 hoarded items!  There's no looking back now!

Thank you US, China, France, Canada, Spain, Malaysia, Philippines, Moldova, France, Germany Australia and many other for coming to visit and taking part in my  HoarderRehab and The Destiny of Things!  

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard listed daily: HoarderRehab with 181 items ,  The Destiny of Things-192 items , VintageToGoEasy - 170 items and now JunkDrawerLove - 166 items!  Maybe you'll find something to take home and share your story too!  Thanks for looking!

Some of my "mail art" postcards to inspire!
photo via Hoarder Rehab, available here

Related Stories:

1.   A snail mail story I recieved with mail art on the envelope! Read and see it here


3.  Read how another Etsy buyer uses these Swami Fortune cards, here

I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure.  I make mistakes.  I am out of control at times and hard to handle.  But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as ehll don't deserve me at my best."  ---Marilyn Monroe 


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