1 Centre Street, 30th Floor
September 23, 2004
Dear Studio 360,
Herewith, the final delivery, documentation, and recapitulation of mail art submission, Pushing the Envelope — Postal Etudes. The package containing this letter contains:
·
this letter
(duh)
·
the six examples of Compass
Card that were delivered to my
addresses (with the delivery address circled)
·
a CD-ROM
containing
·
PushingTheEnvelope.avi, a
video tour of the submissions
·
JPEGs of scans of photocopies
of the submissions (01 through 23)
·
JPEGs of notes for my chat
with Kurt (24 through 27)
·
Microsoft Word
documents
·
PushingTheEnvelope.2004sep07.doc, the letter
accompanying the submissions
·
PushingTheEnvelope.2004sep21.doc, the script for my chat
with Kurt
·
PushingTheEnvelope.2004sep23.doc, this
letter
·
The original artwork for Compass
Card (as a
PDF)
The chart on the next two pages enumerates the individual submissions, giving their size, material, and their location in the video tour and the photocopies.
It also has checkboxes that you can use to note which items were received.
Name
|
X”
|
Y”
|
material
|
AVI
|
JPEG
|
rcvd.
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Rough Handling
|
6
|
4
|
tissue
paper
|
2:07
|
1
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Trance
|
5.5
|
4
|
clear
plastic
|
2:12
|
1,
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Compass Card
|
5.5
|
5.5
|
card
stock
|
2:26
|
2
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Return to Sender
|
3.7
|
6.4
|
envelope
|
1:48
|
3
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
14.5
|
11.5
|
envelope
|
—
|
4, 5,
6
|
|
Do Not Bend
|
10.6
|
4.6
|
playing
cards
|
0:12
|
4,
5
|
|
Postage Due, 0.25
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
7
|
|
Postage Due, 0.5
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
7
|
|
Postage Due, 0.75
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
7
|
|
Postage Due, 1
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
7
|
|
Postage Due, 2
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
7
|
|
Postage Due, 5
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
8
|
|
Postage Due, 10
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
8
|
|
Postage Due ,35.5
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
8
|
|
Postage Due ,35.75
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
8
|
|
Postage Due ,36.5
|
3.7
|
6.5
|
envelope
|
2:01
|
8
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
2
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
10
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
4
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
9
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
6
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
9
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
8
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
9
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
10
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
9
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
15
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
9
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
20
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
—
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
30
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
—
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
40
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
—
|
|
Long Story Short
|
6
|
50
|
card
stock
|
2:36
|
—
|
|
Stamp Solo:
Sixth Intl. Philatelic Exhibition
|
2.9
|
4.25
|
stamp
|
4:54
|
10,
11
|
|
Stamp Solo:
|
2.7
|
2.9
|
stamp
|
4:39
|
11,
12
|
|
Stamp Solo: Centenary
Philatelic Exhibition
|
3.7
|
2.6
|
stamp
|
4:01
|
11,
12
|
|
Stamp Solo: Historic
Preservation
|
4.9
|
2.6
|
stamp
|
4:16
|
11,
12
|
|
Stamp Solo: Mineral
Heritage
|
3.9
|
2.6
|
stamp
|
4:06
|
10,
11
|
|
Stamp Solo: Bicentennial
Era
|
3.2
|
1.9
|
stamp
|
4:13
|
10,
11
|
|
Stamp Solo:
|
3.4
|
2.9
|
stamp
|
4:29
|
10,
11
|
|
Stamp Solo: National
Parks Centennial
|
2
|
2.1
|
stamp
|
4:48
|
11,
12
|
|
Stamp Solo: Banking
Commerce
|
3
|
1.3
|
stamp
|
4:10
|
10,
11
|
|
Stamp Solo:
|
1
|
3
|
stamp
|
4:22
|
9,
10
|
|
Material Indifference:
Pony Express
|
5.7
|
4
|
leather
|
3:13
|
13,
22
|
|
Material Indifference:
Corker
|
5.7
|
3.9
|
cork
|
3:07
|
15
|
|
Material Indifference:
Feat Of Clay
|
4.9
|
1
|
clay
|
3:37
|
14,
15
|
|
Material Indifference:
Long Felt Knead
|
3
|
2.6
|
felt
|
3:42
|
14,
15
|
|
Material Indifference:
Invoice Enclosed
|
5.4
|
4.5
|
plastic
|
2:55
|
12
|
|
Material Indifference:
Letter To Helen
|
6
|
4
|
Braille
|
2:58
|
22
|
|
Material Indifference:
On Reflection
|
3
|
2
|
mirror
|
3:27
|
12
|
|
Material Indifference:
I Screen My Mail
|
6
|
4
|
brass
screen
|
2:52
|
13
|
|
Material Indifference:
Knock-Knock
|
5.5
|
4
|
wood
|
3:34
|
14,
15
|
|
Material Indifference:
Gasket
|
5.7
|
5.8
|
rubber
|
2:44
|
23
|
|
Medium Message:
Weigh In
|
5.6
|
6.4
|
scale
|
3:55
|
16,
17
|
|
Medium Message:
Date of Delivery
|
4.2
|
2
|
rubber
stamp
|
3:46
|
16,
17
|
|
Medium Message:
Modus Operandi
|
10.8
|
4.9
|
stamp on
envelope
|
1:23
|
19
|
|
Medium Message:
Behind Bars
|
9.5
|
4.2
|
stamps on
envelope
|
1:10
|
20
|
|
Medium Message:
Special Delivery
|
6.5
|
3.6
|
stamps on
envelope
|
0:57
|
18
|
|
Medium Message:
Philately
|
7.6
|
3.9
|
stamps on
envelope
|
0:43
|
23
|
|
Medium Message:
Addiction
|
7.5
|
3.9
|
stamps on
envelope
|
0:36
|
22
|
|
Medium Message:
Laurel and Hardy at the Alley
|
6.5
|
3.6
|
stamps on
envelope
|
0:30
|
19
|
|
Medium Message:
High Priority
|
3.5
|
2
|
stamps on
envelope
|
1:39
|
18
|
|
Medium Message:
Rules of the Game
|
11
|
8.2
|
plastic
sheet
|
0:20
|
21
|
|
(cover letter)
|
6.6
|
3.7
|
n/a
|
0:03
|
20
|
|
Since this entry is not Art art (except in a few cases) and is more Concept Art or Found Art, it might be useful for me to say what the concepts of the submission as a whole and the various items composing it are.
The concept of Pushing the Envelope — Postal Etudes is the scientific exploration of the postal service as a phenomenon — as if it were a part of nature. But it is also an entry into an art exhibition, so it takes advantage of places where art and science bump elbows: stamps as art, the scientific method as art, artistic method as science, the importance of repetition and documentation in science, etc. As for the individual entries:
· Rough Handling makes a virtue of what is usually a shortcoming — the postal service’s rough handling of mail; this piece is not complete until they have done their part — the more roughly, the better.
· Trance is an exploration of the lower bound of what can get through: there’s no paper, no ink — the addresses is simply some scratches.
· Compass Card asks “which way is up”? Most of these were delivered to my addresses within a day or two (three of the four addresses were mine); one straggler arrived days later — presumably it went partway to Studio 360 (since the bar code was at the bottom if their address was up) and then came back.
· Return to Sender shows that the ideas of “sender” and “return” are amorphous; Studio 360 is where they ended up, but were they “returned”?
· Do Not Bend is my commentary on the postal service’s failure to pay attention to this indication. Over the years, I’ve received mail marked “do not bend” crammed, jammed and mangled into a small mail box. What is the point of this marking? Is it only to express the hope of the sender, for eventual comparison with the behavior of the mail carrier? In this entry, it is (for nine of the items) an attempt to beat the postal service at its own game, to force them to unbend the mail — if only to be able to see the address. The tenth of these is a set of six blank playing cards (remnants from a childhood fascination with magicians’ paraphernalia) joined by cloth hinges; here, there is no choice but to bend.
· Postage Due is a measurement of the postal service’s postage due mechanism. What happens if there is 0.25 cent (i.e. $0.0025) postage due? How would they collect it? Do they really notice when you’re a cent short? At what point do they notice?
· Long Story Short is again about measurement: what happens when a postcard, fixed in width, varies in length?
· Stamp Solo is a celebration of the stamp qua stamp. Stamps are Art; if you’re submitting entries to a mail art exhibition, why not just submit the stamps themselves? Who needs envelopes?
· Material Indifference is just what I had around the house.
· Medium Message takes the materials of mailing as its subject:
· Weigh In. I imagined this arriving at the post office, and having somebody pull it from the mail stream (to figure out what it was doing), and then losing track of the fact that it was something to be delivered — it would blend right in.
·
Date of Delivery was to be
set to the date it was delivered.
·
Modus Operandi is the postal
service’s own depiction of the phases of mail delivery — circa 1950?
·
Behind Bars presents two
philatelic comments (courtesy of the
·
Special Delivery was as
special as I could make it.
·
Philately is my reflection on
the postal service’s reflection on philatelist’s reflection on the postal
service.
·
Addiction is the postal
service saying both Yes and No to drugs.
·
Laurel and Hardy at the Alley
was a combination I discovered entirely by accident.
·
Rules of the Game is what
Pushing the Envelope — Postal Etudes
is all about.
Thanks for the opportunity to riff on the postal service, my favorite governmental agency.
Sincerely,
Stephen
Malinowski
Music
Animation Machine
www.musanim.com
stephenmalinowski.com