Friday, November 12, 2004

L'Objet Cultuel - Documentation


objectcultuel, originally uploaded by wastedpapiers.

A catalogue from France documenting a mail art exhibition with the theme of The Cultural Object? 1984.

2 comments:

CrackerJack Kid said...

Yes, "L'Objet Cultuel' is one of those nicely presented, expensive, deep pocketed European mail art catalogues that was published in 1985, a time when American mail artists could expect little in return for having entered hundreds of US mail art shows. US mail art exhibitions were nearly always underfunded and entirely avoided by metro-city, state, or national museums, postal, educational, or otherwise...usually resulting in skimpy two sided recto/verso documentations. Canadian mail art shows seemed like heaven in comparison to Reagan era repression. Before the French show was launched in March 1984, the Commission Arts d'aujourd'hul Prémontrés, delivered 4,000 postcard invitations in four languages and were sent to over 40 countries. Why then, was the documentation entirely in French without four translations? Oh well, you could always gawk at the pictures. Conversely, stateside mail artists, even if they had the money for perfect bound show documentations, would never include sub-titles in French. So! Touche, eh?

Wastedpapiers said...

Hi CJK, always nice to get comments - they are few and far between! I'm sorry this photo seems to have lapsed with time. No idea where this catalogue is - buried in the coal shed that houses my mail art archive I suspect although i do keep a few books on a special mail art shelf including your Networking Currents and some others that I keep close by for reference.