Mail Art: Keith Bates, Manchester, England to Vagrich Bakhchanyan, New York, New York, circa 1985 June 7
Scope and Contents
Cover front printed with text in black ink: "'REAL FAKES - PERSONAL FAKES' - A SPECIAL INVITATION FROM KEITH BATES & H.R.FRICKER". Various humorous instructions for opening printed on reverse: "PULL", "RIP", "TEAR", "OPEN HERE" in thought bubble, boxcutter diagram, contradictory "OPEN OTHER END" instructions, "STRIKE HERE", "SUCK HERE", "OUVREZ", "DRILL HERE", "PRESS", scissor and dotted line diagram. A4 sheet enclosed. Rubber stamps in blue ink: sender's return address. Artist stamp of figure with face in hands. Invitation to participate in a fake stamp mail art project. Artists from various countries chosen to parody their official stamps. Keith Bates and H.R. Fricker (see Folders: 687-91) will produce sheets of stamps for participants. A4 sheet enclosed. Selected countries and artists listed in postage stamp-sized grid. Notable artists include: USSR - Bakhchanyan, Canada - Anna Banana (see Folder: 556-60), Italy - Vittore Baroni (see Folder: 562), Yugoslavia - Jaroslav Supek (see Folder: 858-64.5), Japan - Ryosuke Cohen (see Folder: 600-25), Israel - David Cole (see Folder: 626-9), USA - Cracker Jack Kid (see Folder: 632-42), Argentina - Antonio Vigo (see Folder: 876-9), Switzerland - H.R. Fricker, England - Keith Bates.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1985 June 7
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Language of Materials
English
Russian
Physical Description
1 cover; 2 enclosures
Repository Details
Part of the University of Notre Dame Rare Books & Special Collections Repository