A strange evening at friend's flat, I will call him D, where he had invited several of us for a small party. Two people there are friends which he made from being involved in poetry readings, mail art and performance art. One, called Peter Netmail, read a "Commemorative Speech for Dawn Redwood held on his 70th birthday on 22nd July 2006" Dawn Redwood is D's other name. I am used to seeing "Dawn Redwood" in his red wig with long fingernails often painted red too. As he is very tall, his appearance is even more strange. Peter Netmail is from Germany and had decided to read a commemorative speech for this reason "I had to hold some funeral speeches lately for deceased mailartists. Each time it was a pity they could not hear them, and me. That is why I decided to fly here and hold yours, dear Dawn, today on your 70th birthday, for you to enjoy it personally - with your good ear."
I am sure Peter won't mind me printing part of his speech - it is certainly a novel way of delivering an eulogy!
So we sat around talking about the Perfomances which Peter, and the other guest, an Italian called Laura, had made in various cities in Europe. It was all new to me.
Later Laura "performed" a piece with D as the recipient of her actions. She called it a Sheren performance, I think. She is very interested in dolphins.
Luckily I had had a glass of wine.
I have just made this watercolour of the party scene. Here is Laura as Sheren, which means siren, perhaps. She used turquoise veils of net and two long things wrapped up and shaken at intervals. She also used plastic sheeting to wrap round D. She also put on various nets and a fetching little cap on herself.
Peter gave me a copy of a magazine called Oswald Kuntmagazin which he edits. In it are sections about mail art, and other forms of art, such as WindowArt, MuralArt, ClownArt, StampArt, PerformanceArt, ActionArt. D is particularly interested in mail art and sends his letters to contacts all over the world, with his own created "postage" stamps. He has contacts in the USA and Japan, as well as in Europe.
Altogether the strangest party I have ever been to!
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