Lawrence Pevec on POPO (Sending poetry postcards to Strangers)

Lawrence Pevec on POPO (Sending poetry postcards to Strangers)

SICA-USA

August 21, 2020

News

I received a remarkable poetry postcard from longtime Subud member and SICA-USA Board Member Lawrence Pevec a few days ago. I called to let him know how much I appreciated it and he replied. I have pasted that in below. POPO is a SICA-supported project with a few Subud members participating in 2020 and signup for 2021 begins September 1. Details at POPO.cards.

Hi Paul,

I got your voice message, thanks for responding.

I’ve had a great time with the PoPo program and hope you didn’t think I was complaining. I realize there are

many possible reasons for getting fewer returns than one would like. The most fun for me is  making the

cards and thinking about the stranger it will go to, and wondering if there is any relevance and, yes, point to it all.

The poetry I hope relates in some way to the image on the card but it doesn’t feel particularly necessary for that to happen.

Many of my cards are encaustic technique (pigmented wax) which requires me to take each one to the Post Office each morning so they don’t sit in a steel post box oven most of the day and melt all over the other mail.

Since I made all my cards in advance from art remnants, samples, misc scans, and failed experimental techniques that have accumulated around my studio, it’s gratifying to find a place for them in the project rather than in the trash. That’s not to say they are not precious works of art in their own right!

The postcard format, which I’ve been using (mostly 4″x6”) for many years this time has given way to 4”x 8” which allows more room for writing on the back and is more akin to the 16/9 ratio of the modern movie aspect ratio, aka letterbox. I don’t know what relevance that has other than providing variety for the artist and more space to write. As you can see below, I usually work in series of two to three or more variations on a theme. The result is similar to sketchbook art rather than serious finished mark making.

I have a vast collection of postcards received from other artists who like to play this game. Since I started PoPo I mentioned it to several other artists. I’m continuing to exchange with David E. Clark, an ex-Subud member who lives in the Denver area and practiced his art there for many years before he gave up and became a delivery driver. I made an interview video recording of him and his work back in the early part of the century at a gallery that was showing his work. To my surprise and delight I got a postcard from him of a graphic piece that was featured in my movie.

Before I send out the finished card I photo copy both sides so I have a record of my effort and evidence to the PoPo police that I’ve held up my end of the agreement.

The thought occurred to me that we (you and I) could collaborate on a short video featuring PoPo participant’s experiences along with the “rules of the game” that you could upload to the website and feature on the SICA News feed. It might attract some Subud artist/poets. Is Emmanuel doing it?