I've started a new collaborative art project. It involves people all across the country, and internationally as well, spreading my art cards to others. And all of the art is free.
A few years ago I began experimenting with putting my linocut animals, mostly my dog head, cat head, and chicken head, on three by five and similar sized cards. I experimented with color, shape, and placement. And as so often goes with my art making, I became a bit manic about it and I ended up making hundreds of them.
I made them and stuck them in various places in my work space and forgot about them until the other day when I hit upon the idea of slipping them into books, magazines, boxes of other cards, and into various antique and thrift stores. I then had the idea of asking others to do the same where they lived. I put my idea out there on Facebook and it's taken off. Friends from CA, Alaska, New York city, PA, SC, NC, WI, Sweden, Canada, and other local to me folks as well offered to help me spread my art.
This project is inspired by Mingering Mike and a lyric from an Elvis Costello song that goes, "The man in the corner of this picture has a sinister purpose. In the teeming temple of the railroad kings, he's planting a trashy paperback book for accidental purchase containing all the secrets of life and other useless things."
I've begun slipping cards into books at my local library, some bookstores, and will be putting some up on any public bulletin board I can access. I love the idea that someone will happen upon my free art cards sometime down the road, maybe long after I'm dead and gone and they'll wonder what the fuck it's all about.
I also love the idea that others are so willing to help spread my cards out and assist in this long term project.
Keep your eyes open and maybe one day a free art card will fall out of a book and into your lap.
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