Banana, Anna: Canada & Western U.S.A, in: Mail Art Then and Now, The Flue, Vol. 4, No. 3-4 (special issue), 1984 Winter, pp. 25-28. MAIL ART: CANADA £t WESTERN U.S.A Downloadedu from http://artpool.hu/MailArt/chrono/1984/MailArtCanada.html bv Anna Banana

efore settling down to discuss mail- name, address and a brief listing of the Bart's early stirrings on the West sorts of imagery each artist would like to Coast and in Canada, I think it only fair receive. For example, Peter Daglish to acknowledge , whose wants palm trees and drag queens; Lee wit, genius and imagination got the Nova wants telephones and sunglasses, whole thing rolling. Got it going, at Flakey Rose Hips wants recipes, etc. least, as a recognizable movement, a In the meantime, American artist phenomena. No doubt artists and other Dana Atchley began teaching at the creative individuals have always in­ University in Victoria on beautiful, but cluded drawings, collages, photos in isolated, Island. Cut off from their letters to friends and families. I cer­ friends and any stimulating art commu­ tainly did, and have heard the same from nity, he decided to do a project to keep many other artists. And, many still do, up his contacts with the "outside without ever entering into exchanges world." Inspired by Ian Baxter's N.E. with the "International Mail-Art Net­ Thing Co., which he liked because it cre­ work," that has grown out of Johnson's ated "a good interface with the real New York Correspondence School. world," and gave the artist the anonymi­ The first link between Johnson and ty of a corporate identity, Atchley regis­ the West Coast art community was in tered himself as A Space Company with 1968, when Michael Morris, AKA Mar­ the provincial government. Then he cel Dot/Marcel Idea, from Vancouver, bought 250 3-ring binders and sent out visited NYC. Morris, along with Vincent invitations to all his friends to participate Trasov (Mr. Peanut) and Gary Lee Nova in a self-publishing project, the Note­ (Art Rat) were collaborating at the time book. Those invited were to extend the on Image Bank; their project to collect, invitation to their friends, and to send classify and archive images from the 250 copies of up to 10 pages. No work commercial media. Morris was instru­ would be rejected, as long as the con­ VILE COVER SERIES: ANNA mental in bringing Johnson and his col­ tributor sent the required 250 pages. By BANANA, MR. PEANUT, AND HANK lages to Vancouver in March of '69, as the end of the year (69), there were BULL AT THE ART RACE. Vancouver one of the artists exhibiting in the Con­ about 60 contributors, and Atchley set Art Gallery, May 1974. crete Poetry show at UBC's Fine Arts to work, with the help of Eric Metcalfe Gallery. (Dr. Brute) and Kate Craig, to assemble numbers of contacts that came about At this time, address lists were ex­ the 1st edition. from the meeting of Atchley, Morris and changed, and in 1970 Morris, Trasov and Meanwhile, back in Vancouver, Mor­ Lee Nova. This second notebook drew Lee Nova began issuing one or two page ris, further inspired in his own mail proj­ over 120 participants from 7 countries, "Image Request Lists," which gave ects by the response to the Notebook and in the fall of '71, Atchley, with the project, began working with Trasov and aid of a grant, left Victo­ Lee Nova on a massive postcard show. ria with his van full of Space Atlas, to They pooled address lists, including Ray personally deliver them to the North Johnson's and Atchley's. The First im­ American contributors. This started tiim age Bank Postcard Show, curated by Al­ off on a ten-year stint as visiting artist, vin Balkind, was exhibited in October presenting his Road Show to university 1971 at UBC's Find Arts Gallery. It then art departments from Vancouver to travelled Canada, showing in another 8 Athens, Georgia, and ended his involve­ or 9 galleries and made its final public ment with mail-art. appearance in Paris in 1973 as part of the 1971 was a year in which the simulta­ Trajectoire '73 Show. Coach House neous beginnings of many artist publica­ Press in Toronto published an edited set tions had the unexpected effect of illum­ of postcards from the show in 1972, the inating a "network." This flurry of pub­ boxed edition quickly becoming a col­ lishing made the many isolated individ­ lector's item. uals and small groups aware of them­ In 1970 another Vancouver artist, €d selves as members of a much larger Varney (Mr. Poem) began his mail-art group, which was soon referred to as activities under the banner, The Poem the "International Mail-Art Network." Company. His mailings were a small These publications stimulated intensi­ booklet of poems printed on an 8 ’/2 x fied mailing activities by all concerned, 11" sheet, folded twice and cut to form and the next two years saw a dramatic an 8 pg. booklet. These were sent to increase in the number of people in­ about 300 people, friends, artists and volved and quantity of work being poets with whom he was acquainted, mailed. Aesthetics dropped (more asking for a poem or some other re­ quick-print & xerox "mailers” vs. VILE COVER SERIES: HOMMAGE TO sponse. original drawings and collages) as quan­ DUCHAMP BY ANNA BANANA AND In '70-71, Atchley launched his sec­ tity grew, and by '74 many of the original BUSTER CLEVELAND. Toronto and ond notebook project, A Space Atlas, mailers quit the network in favor of pri­ New York. August 1978. with invitations going to the increasing vate practise with selected favorites. In the Bay Area, Patricia Tavenner In the fall of '71, the first issue of FILE Bay Area Dadaists (B.A.D.), Bill Gagli- continued through '75 with the 2nd An­ By then the editors of FILE were chaf­ The 7th issue of VILE, called STAMP (Mail Queen), feeling a need for more magazine appeared, illuminating the one, Tim Mancusi and Charles Chicka- nual Correspondence Er Junk-Mail Art ing at all the "quikkopy crap" junk-mail ’ART, is a special, limited edition of 300 dialogue and creative input, began orga­ overall picture of mail-art activity to date del, who expanded it to book form pro­ Exhibition, the 1st Calgary show of the they were receiving, and published sev­ copies of hand-stamped pages by 200 nizing her collaborative publishing proj­ and giving the names, addresses and ducing 7 issues between '72 and the same title, exhibiting these in Canada's eral letters to that effect in their fall 1973 artists in the International Network. It ect, M ail Order Art. Her idea was to pro­ image requests of artists involved. FILE final issue in '74. These artists were also parallel gallery system. (Many suggest issue. Still hot on mail-art myself, and was edited by Gaglione, and was in the duce a newsprint tabloid of artwork that magazine, with its LIFE-like logo and known as Trinity Press, after a small this gallery system grew out of mail-art surrounded in my new job with the works for the better part of two years. A provoked interchange. Collaborators page format was printed on newsprint printing press they bought and ended up activity contacts). In 1976 Chuck means of quick, cheap production, I third CCLM grant assisted in the pro­ were to contribute work, help pay the with a glossy cover in editions of moving more times than they printed on organized 3 mail-art shows, finally aban­ decided to take up the cause of mail-art duction and mailing of this edition, printing in exchange for a portion of the 3-5,000. It circulated widely, and it's two it. Chickadel started up the West Bay doning the boring theme that had by myself. And thus, VILE was born. I so­ which first went out in the fall of '80. run which they could distribute to their '72 editions included artists from Dadaist, a small instant-print publication then bored me to absence. In 1977 he licited contributions from my correspon­ The first 200 went to contributors, the friends and contacts. Her collaborators Canada, the USA, all over Europe, in the 8/2 x 11", folded twice format. organized two shows, one at the New dents and in February '74 produced my 3rd hundred sold out within a year. in the first issue of Mail-Order A rt were South America and Australia. The mag­ Gaglione and Mancusi contributed to Reform Gallery in Aalst, Belgium, the first issue, 56 pages, in an edition of Since then Gaglione has continued his Lew Carson, Phillis Ideal, Peter Hagburg azine, edited and produced by General this publication as well, and it also ap­ second in Calgary at Parachute Center. 200. These were instant printed, with interest in rubber-stamp works, and has and Nancy Maas Mosen (Irene Dogmat­ Idea, a Toronto based collective of art­ peared under the title QuozP Monty 1978 saw him busy with changes within vell.o-binding and a glossy, two-color produced 4 editions called STAMP ic). ists including Jorge Zontal, Michael Cazazza collaborated with the Bay Area the gallery as Parachute metamor- wrap-around cover. A 48 page second ART, in which participants send A copy of the first issue found its way Timms (A.A. BronsOn), Ron Gabe (Felix Dadaists, and put out his own mailings, phosized into Clouds 'n Water Gallery, edition came out that fall, 200 copies. 150-200 copies of their page. Gaglione to Ray Johnson who responded with an Parts), Mimi Paige and Grenada Gazelle, such as the Yellow Peril, as well. where he organized 6 shows in 1979. Neither of these editions satisfied my binds and distributes them. Back issues invitation to participate in a show orga­ received financial support from the Irene Dogmatic also went on to pub­ 1980 was a quiet year, then 1981 desire to parody LIFE, so the third issue, are available from him at Abracadada, nized in Chicago. Tavenner sent work, Canada Council. lish various instant-print booklets, such brought about his involvement with published in '75, included poetry and fic­ 2311 Lake Street, , CA and in time got a catalogue listing the In December 1972, Image Bank pub­ as her Dogarythims, Star Spanialed Rough Cut Audio Art and his last big (to tion laid-out with old ad art from early 94121. names and addresses of all participants, lished their International Image Ex­ Boners, the Canus Book of Dog Rec­ my knowledge) mailart show, IMAG­ LIFE, and came much closer to my idea. Since my return to Vancouver in and her network expanded accordingly. change Director/, a forerunner of Politi's ords, etc., for all of which she drew sto­ INE/ The Legacy of John Lennon which The CCLM (Coordinating Council of January of '81, I've attempted to cut There were 4 issues of Mail Order Art Art Diary, listing over 300 artists, their ries and material from the network. showed at Off Center Center, then Literary Magazines) approved my grant back on my mail-art activities, but from 1971 through 1973, each with a image requests, addresses, etc., who However, I'm getting a little ahead of toured. application, and put $500 into the pro­ without much success. I've produced new set of collaborators. During that had corresponded with them or ap­ myself here. In Vancouver, the second carry-over duction, which was produced in an edi­ issues 16 and 17 of the Banana Rag since period, Tavenner produced her first art­ peared in FILE magazine's 1st three is­ What has been called the "grand from the first wave, Ed Varney quietly tion of 1,000 copies, saddle-stitched. my return, primarily to answer the grow­ ist postage stamps; 12 editions of 30 sues. finale" of all his collaboration and cross continued his publishing and mailing ac­ Gaglione, with whom I'd lived since ing number of children involved in mail- copies each, offset and perforated. She Two other items helped "popularize" fertilization by the initiators of the "first tivities. After his '71 issues of The Poem moving to SF, decided to get into the art. (These are inspired by Randy also began her years of work with Dog­ mailart; an article about it by Thomas Al­ wave" of mail art, was the Decca Company, he produced a couple of edi­ act too, publishing the 4th issue of VILE Harelson's book, S.W .A.K.—Sealed matic on collaborative performances bright, published in the Rolling Stone in Dance. This event, which took place in tions called Junk Mail; the first a printed (numbered 2 /3 ), the double interna­ with a Kiss, and I feel there must be and postcards. 1972, and one by David Zack, "An Au­ Hollywood in February '74, involved art­ envelope of materials from the press, tional Issue in an edition of 1,000, some way of getting children involved in In Victoria, I began publishing the thentic Discourse on the Phenomena of ists from Vancouver, Toronto, New the second, a box of postcards. In 1973, perfect bound. The major difference in mailing without necessarily connecting Banana Rag, a 2 to 4 page newsletter, as Mail Art," published in Art in America in York, San Francisco, and he produced an edition of 500 copies of our approach was my interest in parody­ them with adults. One or two aren't bad, a supplement to my Town Fool activi­ their Jan/Feb '73 issue. San Diego. A spoof on the academy Stu Horn's book. The Northwest ing LIFE, and to that end, publishing but I've been swamped!) ties. The first few issues, published bi­ These projects and publicity deluged awards presentations, it was inspired by Mounted Valise. After numerous post­ poetry and fiction for the "textural quali­ After struggling with it since the sum­ monthly, were mailed to friends, Lee the mail-boxes of these artist-publishers and to a large extent organized through cards, rubber stamp and stencil works, ty." A certain part of me also wanted to mer of '79, I have finally managed to Nova amongst them. He put me in with more mail than they could answer. mailed communications. It was docu­ he began publishing artist postage maintain the "vile" theme of the publi­ publish my final edition of VILE, done as touch with the developing network by The mail-exchanges, which began be­ mented by video tape produced by Ant stamps. cation, which Bill, in spite of his a book. About VILE. In this edition I pay sending copies of the Image Request tween a select few suddenly turned into Farm, and later a book published at His 1st International Artist Stamp Edi­ sympathies, did not share. long overdue tributes (Excerpts: Tour Lists that he and Morris had been pro­ a flood of mail from a mass audience. Coach House Press in Toronto. tion, 1 sheet, 2 colors, perforated, ap­ Journal) to our European mail-art ducing. Intrigued, I sent out images as Many of those initially involved, friends who we visited in the course of After this, mail-art continued, but peared in 1976, and the 2nd edition, The Summer of '77 issue of VILE, my dropped out. FILE magazine shifted its our '78 tour. It's a book in the same for­ requested, included a copy of the Bana­ with a different set of principals, and again in 2 colors, appeared in 1978. In fourth production, finally achieved the na Rag and asked for banana informa­ focus to other facets of the contempo­ mat as the magazine, giving its own principles. For the first wave, I would 1980, he organized a mail-art show. overall appearance I had been after from tion, images, etc. The response was im­ rary art scene, refusing to answer mail- history, biographies of a number of my say that aesthetic communication with Global Postal, the catalogue for which the beginning. While I had always repro­ art requests. "heros" in the network, and an excellent mediate and positive, and I soon found selected artists was the objective. For took the form of 5 or 6 sheets of artist duced mail-art works as received, this myself mailing to Dr. Brute, Flakey Rose stamps, printed in black only, and per­ issue combined these works with texts, article about mail-art by Michael Scott Back in California, in 1971 or 1972, the second wave, I feel play, participa in Leeds, England. There's an 8-page Hips, Marcel Dot, Ray Johnson, Davi Ken Friedman started sending out his tion, and communication with a wide forated. His most recent edition, his 3rd photos and ad art in such a mix that I felt Det Hompson, Richard C., Stu Horn, International Artist's Stamps, is 4 sheets the uninitiated reader MIGHT confuse it feature on the work of Robert and Ruth Weekly Breeder, one or two 8 Vz x 11" range of persons were the amended Rehfeldt of East , and a portfolio Dadaland, Irene Dogmatic, Pat Taven­ collaged "flyers" from his San Diego objectives. of full color stamps. In every instance, with LIFE on first inspection. Having ac­ ner, Ms. Generality, Mr. Poem, Ken contributors received a free copy of the complished that, and having seen FILE of photos from events I organized over base. I would guess this activity grew Of the second wave principals. Chuck the years, but omitted from VILE Friedman, etc., etc. out of his earlier association with the Steak of Calgary holds my nomination edition, and persons wishing to pur­ do battle and lose to T IM E / LIFE over chase these should contact Ed through their use of the LIFE-like logo, we decid­ because they weren't (vile). This book is In Calgary that year, Don Mabie Fluxus movement in NYC, and expect it for the title KING of Mail-Art, for his my swan song to mail-art, although it his Museo Internacionale de Neu Art ed it was time to move on to other cover (Chuck Steak) began his mail-art activity was through that connection that he ap­ dogged consistency in organizing, appears more and more unlikely that I (MINA), Box 3655, Vancouver, BC, designs. by printing up 500 copies of his drawing, peared on the Image Request Lists. Out showing and documenting mailart. shall ever completely disentangle myself Canada V6B 348. In '78, Bill produced VILE 6 in a new sending it to friends and people in the of Los Angeles, I received mailings from From '73 to '81, Chuck organized a from this fascinating activity. media. Also in Calgary, Clive Robertson, the Bon Bons, Gerry Dreva, Bobby record number of mail-art shows, often And last, but not least, we have yours format (7 x 10"), with a totally different newly arrived from England, began us­ Lambert and others mailing newsclip- with "boredom" as their theme... truly as the third carry-over from the 1st cover and subject focus than all previous Before closing this already over-long ing the mails to break down the distance pings of their appearances/perfor- '73 — Homage to Boredom, '74— 1st An­ to 2nd wave of mailart. By the time of issues. For Fe-Mail-Art, as the 6th issue account, I must mention a few artists between himself and various artist mances. Lowell Darling was also mailing nual Toronto Correspondence Et Junk the 2nd wave, I was living and working was sub-titled, we gleaned material whose contributions have been sub­ friends in England and Europe. He fo­ works from L.A., original, hand-drawn M ail-Art Exhibition, 2nd Homage to in San Francisco, having made the from our archives. I wrote the introduc­ stantial, if not as sustained as those dis­ cussed at greater length. In Vancouver, cused on bringing in scripts and ideas postcards and notices about his projects Boredom, etc. etc. In '75, he began move from Vancouver in the summer of tion and managed to get another grant Rick Hambleton (Trace-lt) published for performance works he could realize to nail-down certain cities, the San An­ publishing Images and Information, a '73. I produced my 9th and 10th edition from the CCLM. Their $923 paid for an two editions of /. D. 's Mr. Reee Search in in Calgary, rather than images. He, like dreas Fault, etc. mailart magazine in the V2 x 14" folded of the Banana Rag in San Francisco that edition of 675 copies of what proved to be one of the most popular issues.. .all '79, with works from 300 participants in the rest of us, had no idea there was a In 1972, Friedman passed the editor­ format, with assistance of a government year, the 10th being a set of 12 post­ about women involved in mail art. 29 countries. There was also the "network" out there. ship of the Weekly Breeder on to the work initiatives program. His shows cards, instant printed at my first SF job. 27 mysterious Five/Cinq Aesthetics who west-coaster I can't quit without men­ tion in '78, is Judith Hoffberg's produced an edition of 500 "legally ge­ tioning, is Buster Cleveland. While he UMBRELLA, with its reviews of artist nuine" share certificates in the "Radiant hasn't done any publishing, he has pro­ books, mailart shows and listings of Energy" of Five/Cinq Aesthetics in Dec. duced limited edition color xerox prints mail-art shows, deadlines and themes. '78. They dissolved the company in 1980 of his many outstanding collages, and Anyone wishing to get into mail-art after producing a "Not Responsible" these are treasured items in the collec­ should send $3 to Umbrella for a sample series. Another Vancouver artist, tions of many. Buster lived in Ukiah and, copy. The address is PO Box 40100, Ladislaw Guderna produced three of along with Polly Ester Nation and Nicola Pasadena, CA 91104. Scarabeus (6x7 'A format) in '79 and Vanzetti, led the organization of the That about winds it up. There are '80, distributing these to the network. Inter-Dada 80 Festival in May of that many many artists with whom I've ex­ He's also produced numerous postcards year. Inter-Dada '80 was, like the Decca changed works, and whose works I and postage stamps. Dance years earlier, a 4-day festival of keep safely in my archive, but who've In Seattle there's Raymond Chew, contemporary arts, based on the mail- not been mentioned here. I regret this, whose high quality printed and color art network, and drawing participants but given the space limitations for this xeroxed postage stamps circulate on a from New York, Gurdon Ark., and Italy, article, I've had to draw the line limited scale within the network. He as well as all parts of California. somewhere. My apologies. sends his works to people whose work A publication that has done much to he likes, and ignores the rest. Another substantiate Mail-Art, since its incep­

New York Corres Sponge Dance School of Vancouver Reunion

VANCOUVER - VANCOUVER -A . i * C% C j ' VANCOUVER VANCOUVER I* 2! <*v M iyf * » * a ■- % \ , s v ,, t \ ■£' v 1 * 5 if ® 9 C* A, V j? * • Ronny Coherv f ' S f & ffenmjGoiter^ ZSSIX) a:'*1**& a J ? s Sif I n f >*«* | \ J o f * / t \ i <*■"

Glenn Lewis

VAN C a IN/ER9 ” S1feet GLENN LEWIS. NEW YORK CORRES AUtlT SPONGE DANCE SCHOOL OF VAN­ COUVER REUNION. 1970. Photo - h : f ‘ - source: ART AND CORRESPON- m - t ~ r v DANCE FROM THE WESTERN £ ■ : FRONT. Western Front Publications. 1979.

CHUCK STAKE. ENVELOPE. 1982. Ronny Cohen Collection. Imagery related to IMAGINE■ THE LEGACY OF JO H N LENNON, a mail art exhibition by Chuck Stake and held at Roleson Square Media Centre, Vancouver. July 14-21, 1981.

PAT TAVENNER.ARTIST OF UNKNOWN MEDIA and MAIL QUEEN. 1973. Photo source: A R TISTS' STAMPS AND STAMP IMAGES. The Simon Frasier Gallery, Simon Frasier University, Burn­ aby, , IMAGE BANK POSTCARD SHOW. Canada. 1976. 1971. Photo source: A R T AND CORRE­ SPOND AN CE FROM THE WESTERN FRONT. Western Front Publications. 1979. 28