Asemics & Visual Poetry by Shawn McMurtagh & John M. Bennett

Collab by Shawn McMurtagh (California, USA)

& John M. Bennett (Ohio, USA).

Originally issued by Luna Bisonte Prods

 

 

Last December I began publishing the contents of an extraordinary and generous package sent for Asemic Front 2 by Southern California visual poet Shawn McMurtagh. I'm sharing this material over several posts. Shawn has produced many collabs with John M. Bennett (ideal in every way for AF2). Today I am thrilled to be able to present stunning examples of these collaborative efforts along with related solo pieces by Shawn.

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, these were originally issued by legendary Luna Bisonte Prods; and the work is certainly faithful to the avant garde, post-avant, underground literary tradition with which this enduring and historic press is identified. I'm very at home with the disrupted, distorted, Burroughsian postmodernist quality of the work because it is a familiar milieu to me. If anyone is not familiar, I encourage you to give it a chance.

 

- DVS

 

 

 

Classic copyart by Shawn McMurtagh

functioning as asemics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asemics by Shawn McMurtagh (DVS remix)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asemics by Shawn McMurtagh (DVS remix)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asemic Postcard by Mim Golub Scalin

Asemic postcard by Mim Golub Scalin (Richmond, Virginia, USA)

 

 

 

This postcard from Mim Golub Scalin is an excellent example of the way asemics circulate in the contemporary Eternal Network. Apparently Mim composed this bit of calligraphy in Paris, France. She later mailed it to me from Richmond when she returned to the USA. I believe the travel and postal network became collaborators as they are supposed to in mail art. The digital is immediate, but nothing can replace having the original, physical work.

 

 

Mim Golub Scalin is a wonderful visual artist (collage in particular) and a mover and all- around excellent network correspondent. She has ventured with great success into the text-image realm and has produced some FAB vispo and asemics, including some of Cheryl Penn's (South Africa) book projects. I am thrilled to have this piece by Mim as part of Asemic Front 2!

 

- DVS