This course examines the history, politics and ephemeral nature of mail art, a format finding a renaissance with COVID-19 social distancing. Activities consider how artists and art movements have used the mail to subvert institutional structures, restrictive conditions and oppressive regimes, often leading to new forms of art making and distribution. Parallel to looking at mail-art traditions, students will produce weekly mail-art projects, thinking conceptually about the formal and logistical properties of the postal service. This collective experience of sending and receiving mail is central to the class, providing a context for understanding and discussing histories, methods, and contemporary practices. Assignments also include weekly readings and research in mail-art collections and archives.
- Teacher: Anne Thompson