Artist Trading Cards Workshop

On March 18th 2008 from 1:00-2:30, there will be an Artist Trading Card (ATC) workshop at the Eberly Center. Jeanne and I will both be there so you can meet your co-curators in person. ATCs are 2.5"x3.5" miniature works of art created for the purpose of exchanging them with other artists. Making and trading ATCs is a part of the world of networked art; while some like to emphasize direct personal exchange between artists, many card artists swap cards with one another through the post, making it yet another kind of mail art. What began as the creative project of a handful of artists in Europe & Canada some time in the 90s began to catch on the world over. In the first decade of the 21st C. dozens of books have been published on the phenomenon, combining instruction, encouragement, exhibition and documentation in varying proportions. ATCs are particularly interesting to me because they bridge the gap between the ambitious abstract premises of the networked art aesthetic and the wildly popular world of scrapbooking and other paper crafts. (Happy National Craft Month to all who know what CHA stands for!) To learn more about this collaborative cultural performance see: http://www.artist-trading-cards.ch/

About the size of baseball cards (and often made out of old playing cards), they may be made in series or limited editions, displayed in groups, or simply shared among friends who collect them. They are never to be sold. We will not only discuss the experiment at this event but participate ourselves by making small works of art to trade or submit to the upcoming exhibit, intimate artifacts. Cards, paper, ink and stamps will be supplied, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own scraps and ephemera. Many card artists employ techniques used in collage, scrapbooking, rubber stamping, and journaling. However, strictly speaking, ATCs do not have to be made out of paper, e.g., Patricia Bolton’s (2007) 1,000 Artist Trading Cards features many textile versions as Bolton is primarily a quilter. At this workshop, we will be crafting with some of my favorite craft supplies: baby wipes, packing tape, black masking tape, and junk mail. (I learned the packing tape image transfer technique from HRH herself, Carol Duvall, Queen of Crafts.) Attendees will receive an Art & Experience promotional glue stick in addition to the art they receive in exchange for what they make. I hope to see you there!

Dr. M.

p.s. A good time was had by all who participated. Thanks!