When I had just graduated, my father offered the advice that I should never give anything away because doing that devalues what the artist makes. It made sense at the time. Luckily I came to my senses!
My mail art is a way to unwind. It's playful and as I make it I am thinking about who I should send it to. The who is it for, makes we work differently. In general I never think I'll do this this time because someone might buy it. I (most artists?) just don't work that way. With mail art there is human connection and rather than taking away, for me this adds a dimension, allows me empathise in another way.
Above are twelve quickly worked pieces (postcard size) which I began with mounted photos I had found at the car boot sale and then cut up a few years ago as postcards to make mail art on. The black and white textures and shapes provided an intuitive base for playing with shape and colour.
I owe lots of mail art and I never make mail art that I don't like myself or that I don't like making. I gave myself yesterday evening to make some mail art and made four of these postcards. (They are arranged in order with the first at the top). I gave myself a few hours this afternoon again. Inevitably I will keep some. But they are mail art and most will be mailed away and only this photo and the process will remain.
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