Just saw this commercial the other day, and was very inspired by it. It was artfully done, with an actual recording of Walt Whitman reciting his poem “America” in 1888. Turns out it was released way back in July but this was the first time I saw it, so I apologize if this is old news to you.
The best part of the commercial is that it doesn’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth after you find out what product or company the ad is for (which is what happens with most commercials for me). But it’s for Levi’s–and what is more quintessentially American than blue jeans?
It was directed by Cary Fukunaga, who won best director and cinematography at the last Sundance Film Festival with his debut film Sin Nombre (it’s on Netflix). I think we need to keep an eye on this guy.
The recent show, A Book About Death, organized by Matthew Rose and exhibited at the Emily Harvey Foundation in NYC proved to be a great success! It was an open call for artists–many of my mail artist friends were involved, and the image above is the front of the postcard that I sent in for the show.
It was really a tribute to Ray Johnson (his original Book About Death), and a “global exploration of death”. Each artist contributed 500 postcards to the show, which created an “unbound Book About Death”. Visitors to the gallery were then able to select some or all of each postcards to create their own book about death.
The reason I claim that this show is a success is because MOMA (New York) just acquired a complete set of postcards from the show! So in a small way, I can say that I’ve been “collected” by MOMA, and that makes life pretty good! I think the artists involved in the show are excited about this–because even though mail art operates mostly outside traditional establishments, isn’t it true that we all want our artwork to be seen, we all have a voice we want heard, and isn’t it nice to be recognized a little?
Some of my mail art has been published in this great book by Pod Post! You can find Good Mail Day here on Amazon.
Make sure to check out the Pod Post website where you can find some awesome info, pics, and even mail art merit badges!! For more info about the book project, check out the blog!!
I’m so happy to be part of this publication–how fun!!
Odd Bird Designs of Canada just sent me a delicious box of pendants, earrings, rings, pins, and barrettes for The Eclipse Gallery! I am really loving them. Check out the rest of the selection on our website.
I spent a lot of time having imaginary conversations with Buddy Willard. He was a couple of years older than I was and very scientific, so he could always prove things. When I was with him I had to work to keep my head above water. These conversations I had in my mind usually repeated the beginnings of conversations I’d really had with Buddy, only they finished with me answering him back quite sharply, instead of just sitting around and saying, “I guess so.”
Now, lying on my back in bed, I imagined Buddy saying, “Do you know what a poem is, Esther?”
“No, what?” I would say.
“A piece of dust.”
Then just as he was smiling and starting to look proud, I would say, “So are the cadavers you cut up. So are the people you think you’re curing. They’re dust as dust as dust. I reckon a good poem lasts a whole lot longer than a hundred of those people put together.”
And of course Buddy wouldn’t have any answer to that, because what I said was true. People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn’t see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing poems people would remember and repeat to themselves when they were unhappy or sick and couldn’t sleep.
AND since I don’t want anybody to feel bad for not winning, I am open to trades from anyone who commented on the giveaway post — whether you write another zine, or want to trade art, photos, music, whatever, just e-mail me and we can exchange addresses and I’ll send you a zine in trade.
to apologize for not updating my blog as often as i would like, i’m giving away one limited edition Wandering Uterus zine, volume three. see a couple posts down for more info on the zine.
comment below to enter the contest, and i will be picking one winner at random.
you have until sunday, may 24th. spread the word! thanks :)
