There hasn’t been an issue of Artistamp News in quite a while, so I was pretty happy to get my artistamp round-up complete with artist profiles, reviews and conference reports in the mail. Artistamp News is the Broken Pencil of artistamps, that is, fake stamps produced by creators that act to bridge the gap between stamps, stickers and works of art. Tons of info in this issue and the artist profile provided by Florida stamp-maker Steve Smith makes for great reading – particularly his account of his naked Olympics stamp series. Unlike a lot of moribund, highly specialized newsletters, you don’t have to be an artistamp collector or creator to like this newsletter – you just have to have a healthy skepticism of authority, and a healthy appreciation for the vagaries of artistic expression. (My personal faves of the issue include: the 32 cent “Kill All Artists”; the 29 cent Zetti Poste skeleton holding Mayan Elixer of Death; and finally, the nondenominated Mistic Acrobat from Italy.) (HN)
newsletter, #10, Ed Varney, $4, 2268 West 45th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6M 2J3