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[archivesofamericanart]

Artist Richard Tuttle mailed this postcard to curator Samuel Wagstaff in 1971.

"The three reflections — Do you see them? Mountain, Sky and Water?" wrote Tuttle on the verso.  

Richard Tuttle mail art to Samuel J. Wagstaff, 1971 Sept. 15. Samuel Wagstaff papers, 1932-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

[archivesofamericanart]

"My great-grandmother Molinaro in New York City, circa 1870."

An unidentified mail artist sent this photo collage to John Evans. Please let us know if you can identify the sender!

[archivesofamericanart]

The mail art community is inclusive and international. Artists corresponded with each other in many languages, from German to Gibberish. Joachim Strange sent this enigmatic envelope to John Held, Jr., 1984. 

Citation: Joachim Strange Mail Art to John Held, 1984. John Held papers relating to Mail Art, 1973-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. 

[archivesofamericanart]

"Dear God! What's this MAIL ART I keep hearing about?"   

Riffing on Michelangelo's masterpiece, The Creation of Adam, artist Anna Banana situates herself as Adam and artist Ray Johnson as God. Johnson was founder of the New York Correspondance School (sic), a prominent and inclusive network of mail artists. Anna Banana has been active in the mail art movement since the 1970s.   

Citation: Anna Banana mail art to John Evans, 2008. John Evans papers, 1972-2012, bulk 1970s-2012.

[archivesofamericanart]

Join us in observing Mail Art Monday over the next several months. Each week we will share highlights of the international Mail Art Movement from our collections. We begin the series with this colorful envelope by Swiss artist Hans Ruedi Fricker, who reminds us that "Mail art is not fine art, it's the artist who is fine."   

Hans Ruedi Fricker to John Held, Jr., 1994. John Held papers relating to Mail Art, 1973-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.