Collab by Ruud Janssen (Netherlands) and De Villo Sloan (USA)
Collab foundation by Ruud Janssen (Netherlands)
Amnesiacs & Asemiacs: Three Pieces by David Chirot
“Cover for an as yet unnamed asemiac book” by David Chirot (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA”
Asemic Front expands its depth and breadth today with these three asemic pieces by poet, writer and visual poet David Chirot.
AF visitors are likely to be already familiar with the legendary Chirot (also known as David Baptiste-Chirot). I am of the opinion – shared with many others – that he transformed visual poetry in the late 20th century (at a time when it was languishing) and is now a key figure in the post-literature of the 21st century. I am thrilled at long last to be able to provide a platform for his work.
While a master of the image (visual syntax), Chirot’s work has long contained what is now called asemic symbols and texts. In fact, he was among the early asemic pioneers – Jim Leftwich and Tim Gaze come to mind also – who anticipated that asemics and image-oriented visual poetry would merge to become a genre (or subgenre). As a result, Chirot has developed an original and distinctive asemic (anti-)language that, paradoxically, is deeply expressive.
“Striker rubBEing” by David Baptiste-Chirot
However, despite the fact that he is also a literary theorist of consequence, Chirot has not engaged in the often angry debates about asemic writing that have been so divisive in the international visual poetry community. So I want to make sure AF readers do not assume Chirot is taking positions here when, in fact, I am featuring his work on Asemic Front due to its importance and what I see in it. He has kindly allowed for the presentation of pieces that are fundamentally asemically “purist.”
Indeed, Chirot’s wordplay that I have kept intact – “asemiac” and “asemniac” (amnesiac) – shows a playful or even satirical view of the ever-so-serious subject of asemic writing. While – beyond a doubt – he has an intellectual understanding of the asemic enterprise, Chirot’s iconic “RubBEings” are simply a natural medium for the generation of asemic symbols, syntax and forms. His artistic process produces distortions and deconstructions of the language he finds in his environment and which provides much of his subject matter. I believe asemic conceptualism is simply inherent and thus natural in his work.
DVS
“Asemniac rubBEing” by David Chirot
“Asemniac rubBEing” by David Chirot (remix by DVS)
Asemic-Vispo Collab by Moan Lisa, Mudhead and De Villo Sloan
Collab by Moan Lisa (Iowa, USA), Mudhead (aka Chris Reynolds) (Arizona, USA) and De Villo Sloan (New York, USA)
Moan Lisa has raised the Mudhead/DVS collabs “to the next level” with this incredible digital remix with alterations and embellishments. Among many other things, the piece offers a beautiful integration of concrete poetry with visual images. Many thanks to Moan Lisa!
Asemic Mud: Collabs by Chris “Mudhead” Reynolds & De Villo Sloan (Arizona & New York, USA)
Collab by Chris Reynolds aka Mudhead (Payson, Arizona, USA) and De Villo Sloan (Auburn, New York, USA)
A package of mail art received from Chris “Mudhead” Reynolds provided the inspiration for these Asemic Front collabs. In addition to being a very talented artist, Mudhead is a superb visual poet whose work enters the domain of asemics. I have been looking forward to doing AF collaborative work with Mudhead for a long time, so this is a great opportunity. I hope you enjoy the results too.
DVS
“Mud Glyph #1” by Mudhead and De Villo Sloan
Foundation piece by DVS for Mudhead-De Villo Sloan collabs
“Asemic Mud” collab by Mudhead & DVS
Foundation piece for “Asemic Mud” collabs by Mudhead
“Mud Glyph #2” by Mudhead and DVS
Foundation piece by DVS for Mudhead-De Villo Sloan collabs
Mudhead typed-over by De Villo Sloan
Three New Pieces by Carl Baker (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
By Carl Baker (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
Following an interesting foray into copy art (previous post) with Joey Patrickt, I am thrilled to share solo pieces by Asemic Front regular Carl Baker that carry a similar theme. These pieces are text (symbol)-oriented and further explore the copy art and black & white aesthetic. Perfect for mid-November meditations.
DVS
By Carl Baker (Canada)
East Meets West: Collabs by Joey Patrickt (California, USA) & De Villo Sloan (New York, USA)
Collab by Joey Patrickt (Oakland, California, USA) and De Villo Sloan (Auburn, New York, USA)
Mail art by Joey Patrickt (Oakland, California, USA)
“Smear Cat” – Collab by Joey Patrickt and De Villo Sloan (scanner smear)
“Smear Cat #3”
Mail art by Joey Patrickt
Collab by Joey Patrickt and De Villo Sloan
Mail art by Joey Patrickt (Oakland, California, USA)
“Hyper-Glitched Joey” – Joey Patrickt and De Villo Sloan
Mail art by Joey Patrickt (Oakland, California, USA)
Collabs by Amy Irwen (Rosemount, Minnesota, USA) & David Stanley Aponte (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Collabs by Amy Irwen (Minnesota, USA) and David Stanley Aponte (Pennsylvania, USA)
I am thrilled to be able to share these scans of mail art collabs by Amy Irwen and David Stanley Aponte (aka Subreal Alchemy). Amy and David have combined traditional concrete poetry, visual poetry and asemics to create these highly original and – in my estimation – breathtaking works. I hope we can look forward to more by this team!
- DVS
Asemic Visual Poetry Collabs by Eduardo Cardoso (Portugal) & De Villo Sloan (USA)
Asemic vispo collab by Eduardo Cardoso (Sines, Portugal) and De Villo Sloan (Auburn, New York, USA)
Closer in:
Reverse:
Asemic vispo collab by Eduardo Cardoso (Sines, Portugal) & De Villo Sloan (Auburn, New York, USA)
Asemics & Letter-Essay by Dave Araki (New York City, USA)
Asemics by Dave Araki (New York City)
This is Dave Araki’s second appearance on Asemic Front. I am thrilled to be able to share this wonderful work as well as his thoughtful writing. I plan to send him a letter in response that will go into more depth than this brief commentary. I believe the most important function of this AF post is for the audience to see and read Dave Araki’s work.
https://asemicfront.wordpress.com/2017/04/22/found-asemics-by-dave-araki-new-york-city-usa/
Asemic Front is also (in addition to art) a place for writing (theory especially) about asemics. Dave Araki’s thoughts on asemics are, I believe, very insightful and should be of great interest to readers.
Dave Araki’s art has a conceptual aspect and he does remarkable things with found material. Those of us in the Eternal Network (mail art) are fortunate indeed to be learning about his work through his participation in the international network. In fact, some exciting new artists are emerging in New York City above and beyond the NY Correspondance School-type stalwarts whom we have come to know and admire. Due to Ray Johnson and Fluxus, New York City was for a long time the unofficial capitol of correspondence art. The tradition continues with new generations.
Dave Araki’s discovery of the network is beneficial to him as well. As you can read in his letter-essay to follow, the current interest in asemic writing and working with distressed found textual material (named Trashpo by visual poet Jim Leftwich) prevalent in the network has an affinity to Dave Araki’s interests. He brings exciting work and fresh vision to the expanding asemic movement in particular. Hopefully, he will discover the work of artists across the globe who are working in the same areas.
Here is the reverse side of the opening scan that has interesting material as well:
And the letter-essay:
I appreciate Dave Araki’s praise for the Karnival of Trash, an international call and exhibition emphasizing Trashpo. Over a decade, there have been a number of significant Trashpo events in the network. The KoT is just a recent manifestation that proved to be great fun. DKult is a group within Trashpo similar to a Ray Johnson fan club as well as the Church of the SubGenius (related to Neoism). In truth, Trashpo is – in my view – a manifestation of the Fluxus impulse that is still vital in the mail art community and which has gone through its own, sometimes peculiar, evolution out of the mainstream.
Chris Wells Typed-Over by De Villo Sloan (Ohio and New York, USA)
Chris Wells (Columbus, Ohio, USA) typed over by De Villo Sloan (Auburn, New York, USA)
Chris Wells posted two visual poems, deeply rooted in concrete poetry, at the IUOMA, which I have appropriated guerilla-style for Asemic Front type-overs. These exercise were great fun, and I hope you enjoy them too.
DVS
Original vispo foundation by Chris Wells (2017)
Chris Wells typed-over by De Villo Sloan
Original vispo foundation by Chris Wells (2017)
Chris Wells typed-over by De Villo Sloan
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