Envelope Art:
Poster Stamps and Artistamps, 1890-1990
Envelope Art: Poster and Artistamps from 1890–1990 explores the humble envelope, vehicle for two rich and relatively unknown genres:
"Poster Stamps," a scarce and largely unknown genre, preserves turn-of-the-century European posters in miniature. Since most posters from this era are lost due to their time sensitive content and awkward, inexpensive format, Poster Stamps preserve the unique visual culture of this fertile period.
"Artistamps" – unofficial postage stamps made by artists – spread imagery and ideology free from art market or political pressure. Artistamps are part of the international "Mail Art" movement (a.k.a. "Correspondence Art") that started in the 1950s.
This show spotlights several archives at the Art Library: Poster stamps from the collection of Robert Biggert (OC '62), a medium from the turn of the century, and Reid Wood (OC '70) and Harley's mail art and artistamps from the second half of the twentieth century.
Emily Edison OC '08
Barbara Prior, Art Librarian
Curators
Poster Stamps
Poster Stamps and Artiststamps: Connections
Michael Bidner and Clemente Padin
Series: Poster Stamps and Artistamps
Mail Art and Ray Johnson
Artistamps
What is mail art? What are artistamps?
Imaginary Countries (in progress)
Oberlin and Mail Art