Mailartist.com Update Please, Allow Me To Introduce My-Self

[J. Arthur Lee]

I know I must be posting among a group of seasoned mail art attendees.

1976
	I am not certain where is the largest exhibition of the work of Ray 
Johnson has been but I think I have seen at least one of them in 1976 
at the N.C. Museum of Art. It was an unforgettable night. I had been 
independently studying conceptual art by reading several books. 
Primarily, as a photographer, I knew I was only scratching the surface 
by using photographs as representation rather than referential art. I 
began building a different portfolio to run tandem with my traditional 
photographs.
	Earlier that year I had sent a set of four photograms to the Chicago 
Museum of Art in honor of Man Ray who had recently died. I did four 
4x5' erotic Cibachrome photograms. I used various materials sandwiched 
between three layers of glass. The prints were not accepted or 
returned.
	After that, a call for entries came for photographic artists to 
exhibit their work at the N.C. MOA. Two entries could be sent, and both 
my entries from my "traditional" portfolio were accepted. The night of 
the show my wife and I dove nearly a hundred miles to get the museum in 
Raleigh. I arrived feeling very proud of myself. Not one, but both of 
my entries had been accepted. I walked around and took in the show. It 
felt good. Then, as I was walking around I found a doorway that led to 
another gallery. "Correspondence Art" by Ray Johnson.
	I spent more time in that gallery than the one where my own work was 
hanging. When I left the museum that night I felt very despondent. I 
felt what I had been doing photographically was worthless and the Ray 
Johnson show always stuck with me.

January 14, 1995
	My daughter Aviella is born. In between these dates in an incredible 
story to unroll.
Isn't it funny how time flies?

I left a .jpg on the yahoo space. I call them Bento Boxes. More to come.

-----
"Why do some people think that doing things the hard way, makes them 
more intelligent?"
(Anon)
-----
John Lee
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 2109 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://goldcrow.net/pipermail/mailart_goldcrow.net/attachments/20050624/5066ca15/attachment.bin