CAN I BORROW YOUR ROADMAP TO CHILDHOOD?

Intervention on a mail art envelope, mailed to Michael Harford and Lisa Iversen in the USA. Accompanied by this letter:

Brussels, 21 December 2010

"The world is a town in which adult people
are excluded from a roadmap to childhood"

Dear Michael and Lisa,

Thank you both for your contributions to the Jazz and Freedom project.
Michael, I have reduced the original painting on the envelope to fit the size of your project.
The discoloration of the print is NOT intentional. My color ink cartridge was low on ink, that's all!

There is an amazing contradiction in our society: they push children "to grow up" by all means, to be prepared for the adult world, to become "productive adults" in a "competitive world" & then they moan about the loss of creativity, spontaneity & they push you into therapy to find your "inner child".

Another element linked with the painting is my love and admiration for outsider art and the artists belonging to the COBRA movement.
Common sources of inspiration: the art of children, the art of "native cultures" & the art of people labeled as "disabled", or what's the new P.C. term: "physically & mentally challenged people".

I think we are all challenged by the system.
First they "cripple" us and then they blame us "to be crippled".
Find your roadmap back to childhood, you adult morons!!!
I listen to the John Lennon song "crippled inside" to stop the yelling in my head and I realize that I've always been and remained a kid or a curious kitten if you want …

ME-OOW,


Guido

FOR and FROM OTTMAR

Intervention on a small standard mail art envelope, mailed to Ottmar Bergmann in Sweden.
Later the envelope returned with some alterations made by Ottmar. Mailed as a collaborative contribution to a project on SHEEP in France (mediatheque de Jobourg).

MEET ME AT A PLACE IN TIME WHERE THERE IS NO ENDING OR BEGINNING

Intervention on a mail art envelope. A tribute to outsider art or artists. I'm always happy to discover art work where there is no end or beginning, the opposite of academic focus ar accentuate details in a painting crap. I'm always happy when I'm able to realize such a work. Like this one! How do you read this? Where do you start? Where do you end? You can also view it upside down and it makes sense, to me anyway. Mmmm, whom will be the destination? I mailed this in February 2011 to Miguel Jimenez in Spain.

THE LOVERS OF THE NIGHT ARE KNOWN TO BORROW CAT'S EYES

Intervention on a mail art envelope, mailed to Isabel Drinkwalter aka Lady L in Canada.

EINDEJAARSVRAAGJE AAN ARTHUR MARTENS

Waarom ik zo van wolken hou?

Je kan ze geen nummer tatoeëren zoals 20101208, je kunt ze niet opsluiten in concentratiekampen of gevangenissen, ze hebben geen SIM of SISkaart, geen PUC code, geen PIN codes, ze hebben ook geen rijksregisternummer, ze ontsnappen aan elke vorm van controle door gelijk welke overheid, ze veranderen constant van gedaante, ze behoren aan geen enkel land en zijn dus wetteloos en grenzeloos, ze zijn in essentie vogel-vrij, ze zijn zoals de liefde: ongrijpbaar en ontstellend mooi, ze zijn reizende sprookjes, nooit statisch en aldus een spiegel voor de wereld, je kunt ze niet bombarderen en ze lachen met de bommen van het menselijk onvermogen tot vrede, ze beantwoorden onze fratsen met hagel, sneeuw en regen; ze regelen zelf hun hartslag volgens de witte ritmes van de hemel, ze zijn wie ze zijn: onveranderlijk veranderlijk…

Arthur Martens

20101208

20101208

roffelend op de wolken
komt zijn adem los

het kolkt hier van zwermen
vogels blaast de sax

terwijl de trombone hengelt
naar maanvissen tussen verdwaalde sterren

alles is moederkoek en eierdooier
want de straatkat speelt basgitaar

begeleid door loeiende koeien op drums
worstelt de piano met zijn eigen hamers

de gitaar slaapt tussen boze rozen
hun verboden droom werd knap uitgespeeld

ontstemde stemmen weten niet meer wat te zeggen
want champagnekurken vliegen leugenachtig door een krimpend heelal

ik mag niet klagen, miauwde zij in haar rieten mand
maar blijf bij mij, blijf in hemelsnaam bestaan

als kortgerokt sprookje in de looptijd
van vluchtende zigeunerwolken

ik kan de lucht niet luchten van hun jagers
de belagers van onze zielen met blackberries als ultieme wapen

hun zwanenzang begeleid door zwoele violen
rooft mijn stoelgang en kakt de liefde IN

maar zie, de wolken smelten samen
tot een groots ziekenfondsbrilletje

glazen gniffelen IMAGINE
een keizer zonder kleren

een Assepoes zonder pompoen
een wereld zonder armoede

een regenboog zonder tranen en wintervorstinnen
en het schaterlachen die tirannieke goden verjagen

“Birds fly over the rainbow,
So why can’t we?”

VIVE LA SOCIALE!

Intervention on a mail art envelope, connected with the poem "MET ENSOR OP OORLOGSPAD". I mailed this as a contribution to Kiera Pannell in Canada. She has a project on languages and culture. For more info visit
http://www.thisisart.ca/

MET ENSOR OP OORLOGSPAD

Met Ensor op oorlogspad

Voor Frank De Vos


Wolken zijn Ensoriaanse maskers
permanent op zoek
naar de eeuwige jachtvelden
van de laatste indianen
aan de Noordzee.

Een Brusselse apache nam de trein
naar zinnenstrelend Amsterdam,
boekte een hotelkamer in de Hilton,
zetten een CD op van Chet Baker,
sprong dan te pletter uit het raam.
Hij liet geen zinnig bericht achter,
enkel de versnipperde liedjestekst van LA MER.

Ik zette de TV aan en dacht na
enkele minuten kijkterreur
“la merde me monte au nez”.
Ik liep kwaad naar buiten,
doorzeefde de wolken met een Vigneron.
Oh, it’s so easy to purchase a happy gun
on the chopping channel.
You don’t need love, only a valid credit card.
Het regende pijpenstelen van pijn, het regende
“blood, sweat & tears”.

Maskers zijn Ensoriaanse wolken.
Ze trekken hun permanente grimassen
boven het afgekloven Doel en zingen luid
de Internationale van de duivels:
“Ontwaakt verworpenen van de hemel!”
Ontwaakt en speel een potje
antikapitalistisch voetbal samen
met Monsieur Eric Cantona.

Zie de supporters dringen aan de Schelde
met spandoeken ontleend aan James E. :
“Vive La Sociale”.
Tegenover hun regeerkunst stellen wij de reidans
van wolken, water en vuur.

Guido Vermeulen
6-7 december 2010

DE VERLOREN DROOM / THE LOST DREAM

Intervention on a mail art envelope. I love this work myself. Beautiful, almost erotic quality. Mailed to Anke van den Berg in Belgium. For a strange reason I seem to mail my best work on large envelopes to Anke. By the way, the frame under the subtitle of my blog is a Google type of search engine. You can search the blog and even the Internet as a whole. Type for instance the name ANKE and you will see the results.
I also turned this work into a postcard with best wishes for 2011. To all the dreams we lost in the sad process of growing up.

ONCE AGAIN WE WITNESS THE BIRTH OF A LOST GENERATION

Intervention on a mail art envelope. With each new crisis a lost generation is declared! I'm fed up with this mind destroying attack on the human condition by those in power! Mailed this envelope to Ginger Mayerson in the USA, together with the original collage "the real axis of evil".

I'M NOT AFRAID TO CONFRONT MY DARKEST THOUGHTS

Intervention on a mail art envelope. Painted in one movement. The context makes this a painting for Lavona Sherarts. However I mailed it to Laurence Roberts in the UK.

FOR RACHEL& INEZ

Interventions on small standard mail art envelopes, linked on level of colours and intent, one is for Rachel Freeman in the USA; the other is for Inez Olude da Silva, an artist from Brazil living in Brussels and who proposes a project on Brazilian culture. The mail includes a list of my favorite jazz musicians from Brazil and a declaration of support for Lula and his followers.

The transformation of a flat, room 2, photo 4-5-6

Mural paintings. Photo 1: The worshippers. Photo 2: The fish goddes. Photo 3: Worshipping the fish goddess.

The transformation of a flat, room 2, photo 3

Wall paintings. This one I baptized "the night traveller".

The transformation of a flat, room 2, photo 2

Mural paintings. This one I labeled "inside & outside birds".

The transformation of a flat, room 2, photo 1

Wall paintings in the second room of my flat. I do automatic paintings, so I never know what the outcome will be. It was Ann who said to me: "Hey, you painted Tarantino on the wall and she's angry, very angry!" My own creation took me by surprise, how wonderful. I wanted to know Tarantino's opinion but she snubbed me, again!

TARANTINO, STRAY CAT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD

PHOTO MONTAGE. This cat is now living in my flat after months of hesitation. She still does not trust me. I can't touch her. Let us say: she tolerates that I am also there in the flat. She watches me like a hawk. Waits for me before the toilet or the shower or the sink or wherever I am. She wants to have eye contact, so she knows what I'm up to. Sometimes she speaks and I respond. I am getting better in reading what she wants. Her mate UMA reminds wild and outside. She refuses to live in the flat and stays in the garden and other places in the neighborhood despite rain, cold and snow. Both are afraid of a big fat red bully, the rapist cat. We all shout against that cat and try to scare him away. Which is not easy! Sometimes I throw pebbles or small stones to that cat but never to hurt him. So I aim below or next to him. I only want that he stays away and does not rape Uma and Tarantino.

SOTHO RED

Intervention on a mail art envelope I mailed to Eric Bensidon in France. The title is a joke in fact and refers to the album Sotho Blue, the latest jazz recording by Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya.

AS A CHILD I HAD A HAPPY INNER LIFE DESPITE MY MOTHER NEVER WANTED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE

Intervention on a mail art envelope. No, this is not autobiographical, but inspired by the stories a very close friend told me. This is an attack on femail abuse, which is very underrated so to speak. Maybe I'll write a rant on that topic one of these days.
I mailed the envelope to Valentine Mark Herman, a British artist living in France.

LAND, OH, I'M WAITING FOR YOU ...THIS DEAD CITY LONGS TO BE FREE!

Interventions on 2 small standard mail art envelopes, both are linked with Patti Smith songs. Yeah, I'm in a Patty Smith period! First envelope mailed to Natercia Tomé in France. The second mailed to Corina Nanni in Romenia.

INSIDE THE HEART, OUTSIDE THE SOCIETY

Interventions on 2 small standard mail art envelopes, one is for Ricci Rossella in Italy, the other for Zlatko Krstevski in Macedonia, both are linked and based on a wild confronting song of Patti Smith.

DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER!

Intervention on a mail art envelope, part of the serial "conversations with Ann V".
Linked with this painting is a new poem in Dutch, a kind of darker sequel to the yellow train poem I published earlier. Explaining this would be a betrayal, so I shall not do this because after all we shall overcome!
I mailed the envelope to Ted and Lavona Sherarts. Lavona helped me with some of my own abuse problems, so it's a logical choice for me.

Don't look back

Uit haar meisjesmond kwam een volwassen trein gereden
op het dagelijkse ritme van "ik breng je ontbijt aan bed".
De locomotief werd aangedreven door aardbeien en sjokola,
opgestookte brieven, in de steek gelaten gedichten en liedjes
gemaakt van gelatineblaadjes en opgeklopte room, zoals:
"Het hart is ofwel een achterlijke ofwel een adellijke spier.
Het hart woont in de regenwolken
op een onbewoond eiland
met een verlaten rangeerstation."

De weerhaakjes schuilen niet in de schoen
maar in die halve lach op uitgestelde krukken.
Haar jurk kleurt rood door lome onbeslistheid.
Ik word kameleon, een kiwi in het hoge gras.
Hij verkoopt per opbod doodgeschoten dieren als ode aan zijn roversnatuur.

Oh, don't look back in anger.
Laat dat aan mij over.
Ik zal wel een Uzi lenen en knal dan
je moeders fiets aan stukken.
Het wapen zal ik dumpen in de Dijle,
vervolgens de resten fiets begraven als ontvelde navelstreng.

Het kind ontsnapt hierdoor ternauwernood aan dood.
Ik ontsnap niet langer aan de zurige nachtschade van haar borsten.
Wij liepen levens mis geboren in een verkeerd tijdsgewricht.
Geen kiné kan dat verhelpen, enkel een treinreis van hier naar
de onvruchtbare aantrekkingskracht van de verborgen maan,
enkel een treinreis naar de horizon van haar zalig
bevochten en ontvoogd vrouwenbestaan.

& met haar haren vlecht ik een ladder tegen haat
in de vergankelijkheid van sneeuw als biotoop
op de tonen van verspild water
naar een snelgroeiend gemis
& het sluipend vermoeden van een harmonieus getal
als 44.



Guido Vermeulen
November 2010

PORTRAIT D'UN CHAT S.D.F.

Intervention on a mail art envelope. My stray cat "Tarantino" continues to inspire me! I mailed this envelope to Lisa Iversen in the USA. When I put this image also on the IUOMA site this resulted in reactions and discussions! So cats trigger people a lot, also in mail art, because of this painting I befriended Lisa, Snookie & Angie and Valentine Mark Herman. Thank you Lady Tarantino. This is funny, "my" Tarantino is a she!

REMEMBERING DREAMTIME IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE

Intervention on a mail art envelope, made for Evie Sati Jadi in Indonesia. For those who ignore this simple fact: Europe is part of the Eastern hemisphere! The USA is part of the Western hemisphere. The difference in shape of the skies (and opinions) are quite staggering...

YOU ARE A GIFT FROM HEAVEN

Intervention on a mail art envelope, part of the serial "conversations with Ann V".
I mailed this in February 2011 to Ottmar Bergmann in Sweden.

THE TERRA COTTA MEETING

It was Sherry Ayers in the USA who requested to make poetry paintings with specific USA wall paint, well we don't have those in Belgium, so I did one on an envelope with the paint I used to transform my flat. So this is wall paint, called LATEX, and the color is TC or Terra Cotta (earth works ceramics). I learned from the experience it's easier to paint on walls with this paint than on paper. The black is China ink of course, but I use that also on my walls, so ...
I mailed this in February 2011 to Giovanni and Renata Strada in Italy.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 40

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 39

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 38

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 37

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 36

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 35

On the wall a litho by Hassan Massoudy

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 34

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 33

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 31

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 30

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 29

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 28

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 27

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 26

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 25

A larger view with the Massoudy painting surrounded by my mural designs.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 24

With a painting by Hassan Massoudy (paint mixed with desert sand based on a quote of Sain Exupery on the beauty of the desert)

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 23

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 22

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 21

THE TRANSFORMATION OF A ROOM IN MY FLAT, photo 20