After 10 Years of Collecting Postcards

In 2011 I often used postcards in the individual pieces I made each day.  And then I started collecting more and more vintage postcards for future projects including the work shown in my 2012 installation Imagining Val Travel.  

Ten years later I find myself in an effort to use up what I have saved for decades — including the postcards.  Much of the material has ended up in artist books.  The latest one, Collage Dreams, incudes 20 handmade collages.   Each is 10.5” wide x 11” high and made entirely from the contents of postcard booklets dating from 1910 to 1950.

A book is now available that includes all the collages.   Some of the images are also available as prints.  

Off to the Post Office

A big stack of 2011 Project postcards ready to go to the post office. Do I have you on my mailing list?

Send a Postcard — help me make the first piece of 2012

During the course of this year as I have worked on the 2011 Project I have experimented with many new mediums, subject matter and sources for collages. This has lead to a number of pieces made from vintage postcards.

This is your chance to help me make a piece of art. For my first piece for 2012, I want it to be a collage of nothing but postcards I receive via the mail. All you need to do is please send just one postcard.

The postcard should be mailed to me at:

PO Box 170681

San Francisco, CA 94117 USA

The postcard can be old or new. You may or may not write a note. If you add a return address, I’ll eventually send a postcard back to you.

Thank you!

April 30, 2011 – Madrid

Madrid is calling. I have been to Madrid but I have never been to Madrid.

Back in my college days, when you do things that only 20 year olds do, I flew to Madrid with a cheap air ticket and a eurrail pass. It was to be a month of wandering Europe. The plan was an eventual return to Madrid a few days before it was time to depart. I went from Spain all the way to Sweden and back. A few weeks later, an overnight trip from Austria had me arriving one morning in Barcelona. The plan was to store the luggage for the day and take another overnight train to Madrid. Then have a few days in Madrid and head home. In the trains station I followed the signs to the place to store the backpack. I saw nothing but scaffolding. A gaping hole was where the luggage storage was supposed to be. It was something to do with bombs and separatists. I decided to find a hotel and head to Madrid the next day. One of the wonderful things about travel is getting sidetracked and tossing out the itinerary. Barcelona seduced me. A few days later, at the last possible moment, I took an overnight train to Madrid and headed straight to the airport.

With a few crumbled 100 pesata bills in my pocket not worth exchanging, I spent the last of my money on some goofy postcards at the airport. The silly ones wear lace has been sewn onto images of beautiful señoritas. I’ve always known I’d put them to some use. So here is my Madrid postcard piece. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been back to Madrid except with the vicarious trips taken in Pedro Almodóvar films.