Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Asemic vispo by Carien van Hest (Netherlands)

Asemic visual poetry by Carien van Hest (Zutphen, Netherlands)


Carien van Hest is a faithful contributor to the Asemic Front Project, the IUOMA-Ning Asemic Writing for Mail Artists group and the Eternal Network in general. 

I believe this new Asemic Front 2 piece represents a breakthrough for Carien. Previously, she has concentrated on developing a personal style of asemic calligraphy, including her fascinating asemic journal. 

This colorful piece is a synthesis of visual poetry (vispo) and asemics in the spirit of much work produced for the Asemic Front Project. (Certainly, Asemic Front is open to all styles; but historically a particular form of asemic vispo has become associated with the project.)

I believe Carien van Hest has, seemingly without effort, produced wonderful asemic image-text with this work. I look forward to sharing more of her work in the future.

- De Villo Sloan




Monday, November 16, 2020

Asemic calligraphy by Richard Baudet (Marseille, France)

Asemic calligraphy by Richard Baudet (Marseille, France)


I am thrilled to welcome Richard Baudet to Asemic Front 2 and the Asemic Front Project. He is widely recognized for his calligraphy in the international mail art network (aka Eternal Network). 

Richard Baudet's extraordinary calligraphy is sometimes traditional and sometimes experimental. The work presented here on AF2 crosses into the asemic realm. Many of his compositions can be appreciated as visual poetry, image-text and conceptual explorations into the nature of language. 

The work above is the scan of a card mailed to Johannes Gross in Germany. I see it as a Rosetta Stone presenting letters of the alphabet alongside indecipherable, sometimes deconstructed, linear patterns and signs that are asemic. We find a juxtaposition of meaning and the meaningless given unity through different modes of calligraphic art, something akin to a masterful musical improvisation using different modes. 

Richard Baudet is currently a member of the Asemic Writing for Mail Artists group at IUOMA-Ning. I am very pleased he shared this work, and I look forward to being able to present more in the future. He brings a unique style and sensibility to asemics.

- De Villo Sloan