Every day for the last twelve years, I have sent a letter to the Pacific Ocean. The letters are returned by the US Postal Service with markings indicating that "no such place exists." I have over 3,000 returned letters which I have exhibited at various points in the project.
The American artist John Peña started in 2003 to send letters to a undeliverable place: the ocean. The project is still ongoing. In this article, he explains that: “It helps me relax into the uncertainty of the world and frees me up to make absurd moves like sending a letter to the ocean every day.”
Do not you feel like writing to this man? I did!
So nice to read, thank you for sharing, Eva!
ReplyDeleteIt makes me feel like writing to the Ocean, too! Maybe one day a Mermaid, or Narwal, or, probably more realistic, an (educated) Octopus (who already has ink, and eight arms/tentacles to use to write with) will reply!
The only problem would be to find the right paper to write (for the receiver - I will use waterresistent ink and my watercolour paper can survive a certain amount of water) and even more a problem will be to find usable stamps (as they will stick to the first near object as soon as they come in contact with water..)..
Did John Peña reply alteady?
He (still) did not replied to the letter. Maybe I asked him too difficult questions...
DeleteYou DID write to a mermaid many times! :D
:-)
DeleteBy the way, I love those postal additions, especially the 'return to sender' hand stamp!
ReplyDeleteMe too. It's a weird but intriguing project.
DeleteFascinating project, I'd never heard of it before. Quite obsessive, too. Great octopus - I wanted to draw one for 'what is she staring at' but didn't feel like I could do a good job if it.
ReplyDeleteBut drawing an octopus isn't difficult; you just need to count up to 8... ;-)
DeleteIt's a pity that I didn't took the picture with the stamps, really. I stuck some fishes!
I also really like the 'Ocean Mail' blue stickers, very clever.
DeleteI wonder what his post officer thinks of him...
ReplyDeleteI guess (s)he really dislike the project!
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