Mail Art to John Held Jr.
Dublin Core
Title
Mail Art to John Held Jr.
Subject
Art ≠ Money
Description
Elizabeth Pearl Was–Nasaw, also known as Lyx Ish, sent this envelope to John Held to illustrate that art is not equal to money. Elizabeth Was–Nasaw was a musician, poet and the co-founder of Xexoxial Endarchy. X.E. is a non-profit artist-run organization that distributes, supports and educates people about the new and experimental arts through networking. These arts include permaculture, visual/verbal literature, audio and video cassettes, as well as mail art.1
On the front side of the envelope, Lyx Ish handwrote John Held Jr.’s mailing address in the right middle ground and placed a sticker, in the upper left hand corner, with her work mailing address typed onto it. Underneath the sticker, is a red and blue stamped image of John Held with the phrase “Southwest USA Decentralized Worldwide Mail Art Congress” below it. In the middle of the envelope, there is a square stamp that says, “Support Our Infinite Eternal Network” with an illustration of an envelope with wings attached to it, as well as having the U.S. Postal Service stamp beside it.
On the reverse side of the envelope, Lyx Ish Xeroxed a U.S. dollar bill with a drawn fish and alligators encircling the phrase “Art ≠ Money” in the middle of the bill. Above the phrase is another utterance stating, “Festival of the Swamps” over the part of the U.S. dollar that normally says, “The United States of America” on it. Stamped sideways alongside both sides of the envelope is the phrase “Wakest International Reconstruction Movement” in purple. Covering the left side of this stamp is a pink sticker of a stamp that says “Xexoxial Endarchy” with an image of Xerox books beneath the phrase where it is folded in half onto the front side of the envelope.
Since Lyx Ish founded X.E., she worked on a project called Dreamtime Village. This project was central to the belief that dreams are real and people’s waking life is a dream. Since Lyx was so passionate about her project, she wanted to share her belief of how art is not equal to money by sending this message to John Held, which eventually made it into his papers. By Lyx sharing her belief, she is discussing how art is not about money and people are in this illusion where they believe that it is. People believe what they want to and by Lyx saying “Art ≠ Money”, she showing how people live in an illusion where money regulates everything, but in actuality it does not. By Lyx also stamping “Wakest International Reconstruction Movement” and “Xexoxial Endarchy” to this envelope, she is illustrating that her son, Liaizon Wakest, is the future of X.E. and how he is reconstructing it to educate people and start making them think. Thus, Lyx Ish sent this envelope to John Held to illustrate how art is not equal to money and to get people to think about their dreams instead of living in their current illusion.
On the front side of the envelope, Lyx Ish handwrote John Held Jr.’s mailing address in the right middle ground and placed a sticker, in the upper left hand corner, with her work mailing address typed onto it. Underneath the sticker, is a red and blue stamped image of John Held with the phrase “Southwest USA Decentralized Worldwide Mail Art Congress” below it. In the middle of the envelope, there is a square stamp that says, “Support Our Infinite Eternal Network” with an illustration of an envelope with wings attached to it, as well as having the U.S. Postal Service stamp beside it.
On the reverse side of the envelope, Lyx Ish Xeroxed a U.S. dollar bill with a drawn fish and alligators encircling the phrase “Art ≠ Money” in the middle of the bill. Above the phrase is another utterance stating, “Festival of the Swamps” over the part of the U.S. dollar that normally says, “The United States of America” on it. Stamped sideways alongside both sides of the envelope is the phrase “Wakest International Reconstruction Movement” in purple. Covering the left side of this stamp is a pink sticker of a stamp that says “Xexoxial Endarchy” with an image of Xerox books beneath the phrase where it is folded in half onto the front side of the envelope.
Since Lyx Ish founded X.E., she worked on a project called Dreamtime Village. This project was central to the belief that dreams are real and people’s waking life is a dream. Since Lyx was so passionate about her project, she wanted to share her belief of how art is not equal to money by sending this message to John Held, which eventually made it into his papers. By Lyx sharing her belief, she is discussing how art is not about money and people are in this illusion where they believe that it is. People believe what they want to and by Lyx saying “Art ≠ Money”, she showing how people live in an illusion where money regulates everything, but in actuality it does not. By Lyx also stamping “Wakest International Reconstruction Movement” and “Xexoxial Endarchy” to this envelope, she is illustrating that her son, Liaizon Wakest, is the future of X.E. and how he is reconstructing it to educate people and start making them think. Thus, Lyx Ish sent this envelope to John Held to illustrate how art is not equal to money and to get people to think about their dreams instead of living in their current illusion.
Creator
Elizabeth Pearl Nasaw (aka Lyx Ish, aka Elizabeth Was)
Source
Archives of American Art
Publisher
Archives of American Art
Date
1987
Contributor
Alexandria Gibson
Rights
Artist Rights Society
Relation
https://www.geni.com/people/Lyx-Ish/372455426380012518
http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/faq.html.
http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/xe.html.
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/items/detail/elizabeth-was-mail-art-to-john-held-18555
http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/faq.html.
http://www.dreamtimevillage.org/xe.html.
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/items/detail/elizabeth-was-mail-art-to-john-held-18555
Format
11 x 24 cm.
Language
English
Type
Mail Art
Identifier
[no text]
Coverage
[no text]
Files
Collection
Citation
Elizabeth Pearl Nasaw (aka Lyx Ish, aka Elizabeth Was), “Mail Art to John Held Jr.,” Collaborative Correspondence: Mail Art from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art, accessed May 9, 2024, https://collaborativecorrespondence.omeka.net/items/show/39.