MAIL-ART DURING THIS LAST DECADE

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WHATEVER YEAR, MONTH OR WEEK IT IS, NIGHT OR DAY, MAIL-ART IS A PERMANENT ART-FESTIVAL, A NON-STOP ART-PROCESS. DURING DECADES MAIL-ART HAPPENS SIMULTANEOUS AT DIFFERENT PLACES, WITH ENTHUSIASTIC SUMMITS AND RESIGNED DEPRESSIONS. BUT AL-WAYS.

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THE NINETIES: THE MAIL-ART NETWORK IS A TOO SOLID OR RIGID CONSTRUCTION TO EX-PECT FAST "FUNDAMENTAL" STRUCTURAL CHANGES DURING THE COMING YEARS. MAYBE THERE WILL BE MORE "PERSONAL" ENCOUNTERS, MORE FAX-PROJECTS AND MAYBE A SEPA-RATE "P.C." MAIL-ART NETWORK WILL ASSUME A DEFINITE SHAPE. BUT THE TRADITION OF EXCHANGING ART AND OTHER (VISUAL, AUDIO, VIDEO, OLFACTORY, ETC.) INFORMATION VIA A COMMUNICATION-SYSTEM (INCLUDING THE ORGANIZATION OF ALL KINDS OF ART-PRO-JECTS, ETC.) WILL STAY.

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THE INFLUENCES OF THE FAX-MACHINE AND THE "PERSONAL" COMPUTERS ON: A. THE MAIL-ART WORKS; B. THE COMMUNICATION (VIA MODEMS/FAX) AND C. THE MAIL-ART AR-CHIVES (FAST AND ACCURATE INFORMATION) WILL GO ON.

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THE COMPUTERIZED "FACE-LIFT" OF MAIL-ART CONCERNS FIRST OF ALL THE "MAIL-ART WORKS" BY DETERMINING A GREAT DEAL OF THEIR CHARACTER. FIRST VIA THE (9 OR 24-PINS) MATRIX-PRINTERS, LATER ON VIA THE INKJET AND LASER-PRINTERS; FIRST BLACK AND WHITE, LATER ON MULTI-COLOURED. REMARKS: A. THE RESULTS OR OUTPUT ON THE P.C.-SCREEN AND THE RESULTS OF THE PRINTER ARE SOMETIMES OUT OF ALL PROPORTION, UN-LESS THE MAIL-ARTIST HAS AT HIS DISPOSAL VERY SOPHISTICATED HARDWARE. B. DURING THE PRESENT INITIAL PHASE THE COMPUTERWORKS WILL MOSTLY BE SEND VIA THE POSTAL SYSTEM OR BY FAX. C. CONCERNING THE UTILITARIAN IDEOLOGY OF THE SOFTWARE: THE PROGRAMS ARE THE MIND-BULLETS OF THE PROGRAMMERS. IT IS GOOD THAT ARTISTS USE AND MISUSE COMPUTER-PROGRAMS FOR THEIR ARTISTIC AND COMMUNICATIVE AIMS.

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THE TRANSFORMATION OF "MAILED" MAIL-ART INTO "ELECTRONIC" MAIL-ART (OR FAX-ART, OR "COMPUTER" MAIL-ART, OR "P.C." MAIL-ART, OR "MODEM" MAIL-ART, OR "ONLINE" MAIL-ART, ETC.) WILL PROVISIONALLY NOT MENACE, BUT EXTEND THE EXISTING POSTAL MAIL-ART NETWORK WITH RECENT TECHNOLOGICAL FACILITIES.

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ANOTHER TRANSFORMATION WORTH MENTIONING REGARDS THE PHILOSOPHY OF TIME. MANIPULATING THE CONCEPT OF TIME IS HIP. ELECTRONIC MAIL-ART VIA MODEMS AND FAX ADDS ONE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT TO POSTAL MAIL-ART, NAMELY "SPEED". THIS BRINGS A NEW VISION ON THE TRADITIONAL PROBLEM OF THE MAIL-ART DEADLINE. ONLINE MAIL-ART CREATES THE POSSIBILITY TO DO A PROJECT IN, FOR INSTANCE, "ONE" HOUR. THE PHYSICAL TIME CAN BE INTERMINGLED WITH THE ARTISTIC TIME OF THE PROJECT AND THE PHYSIOLOGICAL TIME OF THE ARTIST. THE IMMEDIATE REACTION BECOMES PART OF THE INTERCOMMUNICATIVE PROCESS AND THROWS A NEW LIGHT ON THE EXPERIENCE OF TIME IN THE MAIL-ART NETWORK.

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PARENTHESIS : ONE OF THE MOST BIZARRE ASPECTS OF THE MAIL-ART COMMUNICATION IS THE DICHOTOMY "ANONYMOUS"-"KNOWN". ON THE ONE HAND THE ANONYMITY STIMULATES THE OPENNESS IN THE MAIL-ART NETWORK. SENDING INTIMATE, VERY PERSONAL THINGS OR INFORMATION TO SOMEBODY YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT LIVING AT THE OTHER END OF THE WORLD IS RATHER HARMLESS. ON THE OTHER HAND THE COMMUNICA-TION IS MOSTLY AMICABLE AND TRUE, ALTHOUGH ONE OFTEN KNOWS NOTHING ELSE BUT THE "NAME" OR "PSEUDONYM" OF THE OTHER MAIL-ARTIST. SO THE SINCERITY IS FREQUENT-LY CAUSED BY THE ANONYMITY, NOT KNOWING THE PERSON (HIS/HER PROFESSION, HIS/HER WAY OF LIFE, HIS/HER PERSONALITY, ETC., ETC.) BEHIND THE NAME. OF COURSE THE LARGE NETWORK MAKES IT STRUCTURAL IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CLOSE FRIENDS WITH ALL THE MAIL-ARTISTS. SUPERFICIAL COMMUNICATION IS OFTEN A CONDITION TO MAINTAIN THE EXAC-TING CONTACTS.

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IN THE END, NOT THE COMPUTER, FAX-MACHINE OR POSTBOX, BUT COMMUNICATION IS THE MESSAGE.


The Administration Centre - 42.292 / mail-art archive / Guy Bleus
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E-mail address : guybleus@mailart.be