From Guieu to Sigg

Just before leaving for Yellowstone, I sent an image to Ivan and his family.

Dear Friend

Bright day with Ivan Sigg and his family at the house last week-end, visiting from Paris via San Francisco. Ivan brought us some treasures from France: a colorful poster he created with artist friend Eric Meyer, two books of enigmas he illustrated: Enigmes Litteraires Spectaculaires and Enigmes Litteraires Extraordinaires, and a novel: "Chroniques de l'Oiseau a Ressort" by Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up bird Chronicle).

And yesterday, we received a wonderful letter in a beautiful envelope!

More envelopes for the non profit organization "Une Vie, Un Arbre"

Association "Une Vie, un Arbre"

Related posts in this blog:
Association "Une vie, Un Arbre" / Non Profit Organization "Une Vie, Un arbre"
My contribution to the association "Une Vie, Un Arbre"

From Joelle Paris

Received a beautiful card from my friend Joelle Paris who lives in Paris. I wanted to know if it is wood carving or else.



She sent me two images to show me the technique: one image of some of the erasers she carved (she carves both sides not to loose any space).




And one photo showing this year's image and the image she made in 1995. Same technique, 16 years apart.
Joelle writes: "Entre ces 2 versions, 16 ans se sont écoulés, il y a 2 enfants de plus sur l'image et 1 chat en moins..." (Between the two images, 16 years passed by, there are two more kids and one less cat...)

I love the bold result and the simplicity of the material!

At the time when 2000 post offices are about to close in the US, I feel sad that today what we get in the mail is essentially junk. It always brightens the day when I find a "real mail" in the pile of catalogs, fliers for fast food and offers for car insurances (which go directly to the recycling bin).

Thank you my friends!

Association "Une vie, Un Arbre" / Non Profit Organization "Une Vie, Un arbre"

I sent two envelopes this year

Each year the non-profit organization "Une Vie, Un arbre" (literally: One life, One Tree) organizes an exhibition of mail art in Vienne, in France, to benefit ill children. The organization is asking artists who are willing to participate to send one or several envelops to bring some comfort to children who are going through rough times.
Send your mail art before March 31, 2011 to the following address:
Association "Une vie, un arbre"
BP 32
38781 Pont Eveque CEDEX
France



Chaque année l'association "Une vie, un arbre" organise une exposition vente d'Art Postal à Vienne dans l'Isère au profit des enfants malades. L'association lance donc aujourd'hui un appel à participation à tous les artistes qui souhaiteraient par l'envoi d'une ou plusieurs enveloppes apporter un peu de réconfort aux enfants qui traversent des épreuves difficiles.
Envoyez vos créations postales avant le 30 mars 2011 à l'adresse suivante :
Association "Une vie, un arbre"
BP 32
38781 Pont Eveque CEDEX
France

Association Une vie, un Arbre (le blog de l'association)
Last year's contribution

Mails to Eric Meyer and Ivan Sigg

Envelopes I sent to Eric and Ivan

Eric Meyer and Ivan Sigg just published the first issue of their magazine KUU.
If you order one, it costs 20 euros (+ the shipping) and it includes an original drawing by Ivan Sigg + Eric Meyer. Please email Ivan for more information: ivansigg@free.fr

KUU #0!

KUU #0

My friends artists Ivan Sigg and Eric Meyer created KUU, an art magazine! The first issue is available online. The magazine is about their collaborative work, their mail exchanges, their notes, their thoughts, the magazines' covers they transform. I am honored to be the first artist invited! There will be 2 issues per year.


From Ivan Sigg:

"KUU se prononce Cou-ou, ce qui signifie "le vide" en Japonais, et c'est le nom que nous avons choisi de donner à notre revue.

Bonjour à tous.

Voilà un an qu'avec mon ami peintre Eric Meyer nous travaillons à ce projet avec l'idée de coucher sur papier ce que nous développons pendant l'année : échanges plastiques et graphiques, boomerangs postaux, carnets-blogs quotidiens, métamorphoses de UNES, observations sur la vie, typographies, couleurs... tout cela compilé en une revue ouverte et imprévisible.

Le numéro 0 vient donc de voir le jour, il est dès à présent disponible. Chaque exemplaire est accompagné d'une oeuvre originale réalisée à deux mains par Eric et moi-même (sur la quatrième de couverture restée blanche). Chaque KUU est donc un exemplaire unique !

Souhaitant ouvrir l'espace de notre revue à d'autres artistes еt à d'autres échanges nous avons invité notre ami peintre Michele Guieu à participer à ce premier opus.

Nous pensons éditer deux numéros par an.

Pour tous renseignements complémentaires et pour commander la revue KUU :
www.ku-u.org.

art-mitié"
Ivan

Mail Art from Ivan Sigg

It is always a beautiful surprise to receive a mail from Ivan! Merci!

Collective Mail Art

Eric Meyer worked first and sent his envelope to Ivan Sigg.


Ivan Sigg worked on the envelope and he sent it to me.


I intervened last and I sent the envelope back to Eric Meyer.

Michele Guieu/Eric Meyer/Ivan Sigg: collaborative mail art

I sent my envelope to Eric (San Diego - Paris).



Eric transformed it and sent it to Ivan Sigg (Paris - Paris)...



Who transformed it too and sent it back to me (Paris - San Diego)!

Thank you Eric and Ivan for this exciting collaborative work made "just because". I love this and I hope we'll do that again soon!

My contribution to the association "Une Vie, Un Arbre"

envelope, 9x12 inches

I sent yesterday my envelope to participate to the annual mail art exhibition of the French Association "Une vie Un Arbre". All of the proceeds from the sale go to the association, which helps children affected by serious diseases and facing long hospital stays.
My friend Ivan told me about the possibility to participate a few months ago, but I waited a lot before to do my project and the deadline is April 4th. Hopefully my envelope will fly fast and arrive in Vienne on time!
Ivan participated to the show last year. He is a special guest this year, along with 11 other artists. He will be in Vienne to show some mail art and more.

- Update, March 29: Gilbert Fanjat, the director of the association, says everyone can still send envelopes to the association (see the address below). All the envelopes which arrive (in Sainte Colombe, France) before April 18 will be displayed.

Exposition "Artistes et Art Postal"
Salle des Fetes de Vienne (Isere)
Samedi 18 avril de 14h-20h
Dimanche 19 avril de 10h-18h

Association Une Vie Un Arbre
Résidence Hermitage
130 Route Départementale 386
69560 Sainte Colombe
France

San Diego - Paris

I sent an envelope to Eric Meyer today, who will do something on it and send it to Ivan Sigg, who will also do something on it and will send it back to me (if I understood well how this thread will work!). Let's see what happens!

Mail Art from Ivan Sigg

Thank you Ivan for this beautiful envelop!

Ivan Sigg + Eric Meyer: Mail Art surprise

Mail Art Ivan Sigg + Eric Meyer


The invitation for the show at the SDAI (June 2008)

Received from my friends artists Ivan Sigg and Eric Meyer, who live in Paris, a colorful and very interesting envelop! Ivan started to work with the invitation of my solo show at the SDAI: "Here it's Peace". Then he sent it to Eric who sent it to me! Et voila. My postcard developed into a whole new world!

Thank you! It is a beautiful surprise, I love it!

Here's what is written behind the envelop:
[Eric, ca te dit de bidouiller cette enveloppe debutee a partir d'une oeuvre de Michele puis de lui envoyer?
- Bien sur Ivan, que ca me dit! D'ailleurs voila, c'est fait! je poste! Michele, Kyle et les enfants, un grand bonjour de Paris-France, on vous wembrasse! Art-micalement!!
Eric]

On Eric and Ivan's blogs you will see powerful exemples of mail art they send to each other, and work one after another. Strong collaborative work.

Mail Art d'Ivan Sigg

Merci Ivan pour ton dessin voyageur, oiseau de passage et migrateur!

A snowy landscape in the mail

Ivan Sigg, ink on paper

Today I had the really nice surprise to receive an ink on paper sent by my dear friend Ivan Sigg from France! The mailman put our mail on a chair, on the porch outside of the house and he put Ivan’s folded drawing on the top. So when I picked up the mail that is the first thing I saw, I was thrilled! I delicately opened and unfolded the drawing and here it was: a beautiful snowy landscape from the mountains where Ivan and his family spent some time recently! And there is also a little story around the stamp !
Ivan’s work, thoughts and energy inspire me. Thank you Ivan!

Merci Ivan de cette belle surprise qui a traverse un ocean plus un continent pour arriver dans notre maison de San Diego. Un rectangle de bonheur! Ton energie et ton travail m’impressionnent!