Open Drawers mail art collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS-Archives-FA 2015/02

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection includes contributions from a range of artists and countries and consists of letters, postcards, catalogues, artist statements, magazines, newspapers, journals, and related print articles distributed via mail.

Divided into two series, Series 1: Artists, includes material received and grouped by an individual; Series 2: Countries, includes material grouped by country of origin.

Dates

1970s-1980s

Creator

Dadson, Phil (Person)
Spill, Nicholas (Person)
Barber, Bruce (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

No restricted.

Biographical / Historical

Mail Art developed out of the Fluxus movement of the 1950s which uses the postal service as a medium. This medium is both a method of communication and an integral part of the process of generating the art. This largely artist-run initiative aimed to break the traditional modes of art exchange and bridge the boundaries between art and life.

The Open Drawers mail art collection was initiated by visiting Canadian artist Terry Reid along with Phil Dadson, Nicholas Spill and Bruce Barber in the 1970s. Items were collected, compiled, and deposited into the collection held in the Fine Arts Library documenting the international mail art network between artists, art departments, and art institutions.