INTRO    -    MAIL ART    -    THE POSTMAN    -    LINKS    -    ARTISTAMPS    -    MAIL ART CALLS

    MAIL ART CALL OF THE POSTMAN

    While forming part of the philatelic field, the artist adapts officially an imaginary territory, which is the one of its vision of the things and of the world. The artist, while thus acting, proves his greatest freedom in the management of its poetic step. He adapts the emission right of postage stamps; a right which is the prerogative of the public power and the states officially made up and recognized like such.

    It is quite obvious that the artist, who emits stamps, achieves this like a liberator gesture and also like a catalyst gesture of a privileged communication.

    The labels known as "Artistamp" or stamps of artists although sometimes covered indication of a value do not have any capacity of stamping. You logically do not have the right to counterfeit an official stamp (assessed valuation, indications of republic... etc). To manufacture your stamp, choose a thin paper. You can draw your stamp, stick it, draw it with a software, engrave a gum... The technique of printing can be the photocopy, the color photocopy, with your printer, the printing with the plug, ink... etc...

    In reality, after being printed on gummed paper, stamps are perforated with combs of a perforate machine.

    To make "a true" stamp, it is the serration which poses the biggest problems. First tests can be carried out on one... sewing machine, if you do not have the special machine. You can also not notch the stamp, notch it with scissors (it is a little bit long), use notched scissors (You find notched scissors of different forms and fantasy in the trade)... You can use a metal comb (current to comb the dogs) or thinner scissors (toiletters).

    But most of the time, the serration are drawn by hand or by computer in black.

    The artistic stamp considered here is not held as valid in the post offices although several artists hoaxed the post offices and succeeded in making circulate their mail with their own stamps (otherwise painted or drowned counterparts of regular stamps.

    The excuses, the desires, the consequences of the artist steps related to the stamp are multiple but have however a common denominator: the communication.

    All can become a stamp!

    The technique used, like the concept, even the concept of the stamp do not know restrictive limits. We observe the existence of boards of gummed stamps, black and white or polychrome, on blank or color paper, with or without perforation. Contrary to the post office stamp constrained by a yoke of administrative standards, the artist’s stamp doesn’t burden itself neither with censure, nor with constraint of any kind.

    Thus, they are artistic achievements forwarding by the post office: an object, an envelope, a sheet, a box... is transformed into a personalized mean of communication by the visual arts and sent to its recipient by the post office.

    Postal art is essential like a single message: the one of the freedom of expression and of the communication without borders.