Postcard Culture
At the end of March i launched the first call for art as part of a new series of zines. Each zine will house a collection of responses to a specific theme which have been recorded on postcards and sent in to Guy Cry Club.
But why am i asking the public to express their views on a postcard? Well…
As a generically creative type, postcards are always present in my life. I have an ever growing pile of postcards from visiting art markets and artists online shops, wanting to give my support but not always having a lot of money to do so. Similarly i have postcards of my own creation which i have sold or given out to those that have supported me. I have postcards whose origins are from different countries, mostly acquired by rummaging through boxes and draws at vintage fairs, those that have been sent to me, and from the odd occasion when i have been fortunate enough to visit another country myself. Postcards are incredibly accessible and are seemingly everywhere we look.
Source: worldpostcardday.com
Used in their conventional sense - an image and a space for a collection of thoughts - they can tell us so much about someone and their life, their views, and what they have experienced at a particular moment. The primary function of the postcard (which date back to the 19th Century) is essentially that of shared expression. And in this respect they can be seen as an art form. Mass produced pieces of art with an invitation to edit. Initially to just fill the space given with words, an address and a stamp. But beyond this, that same space is just as appropriate for drawings, painting, collage, embroidery… and so on. Plus there is no reason why the pre-existing image on an original postcard cannot also be edited, becoming an extended part of someone’s unique expression.
This idea has been taken to another level with the ongoing project PostSecret, something which is a huge inspiration to this series of zines i wish to create. Starting in 2004, Frank Warren set about handing out 3,000 blank postcards (his address printed on one side), inviting the public to use the postcard to tell him a secret. By the time of his TedTalk in 2012 he had received 500,000 postcards. After that initial run, he hadn’t printed anymore blank postcards, and they started pouring in from all over the world. The secrets themselves vary wildly from the ridiculous and hilarious to the devastating and dark. It is an ever-growing thread of humanity in postcard form.
When i came across this project two things really stood out to me. Firstly, the raw creativity and need to express something was palpable. Secondly, the anonymity and the freedom that this had brought to so many. This latter point has stuck with me and made me think about its presence in our lives; how anonymity is received in the traditional art world, how anonymity is vital for human expression, how anonymity doesn’t stop someone being authentic and truly acknowledged, how anonymity enables someone to live. The more i thought about these notions the more i realised that it was something i wanted to encourage. Whether someone uses a pseudonym, chosen name, or no identifying mark at all, it shouldn’t stop someone from being part of a conversation. There are things we find difficult enough to express to ourselves, let alone to others whilst also claiming ownership of that information publicly. This is why i find PostSecret so enticing. Because it gives the power to the anonymous figure. Coupled with the accessibility of a postcard, that power can be obtained by near enough anyone.
Source: postsecret.com
Regardless of how we use postcards, they are a moment that has been intentionally captured. A canvas for expression which exists to be shared. In some cases received to be thrown away. In other cases received and cherished.
This series of zines i am working on will become a home for everyone’s thoughts, feelings and experiences. Through the postcards that get sent in and ultimately collated into each publication, a collaborative space to share and create further dialogue is formed. And i invite you to be a part of this conversation.
