PROJECT DESCRIPTION (July 27, 2018)
Assembled in working-groups of five members each, with each group arranged in a ‘circular’ sequence, participants will send and receive works-in-progress, and contribute to that progress. Each participant will be the Principal Author of one collage, and a Contributing Author of four others.
The completed collages will be exhibited at three or more venues throughout Spring and Summer 2019.
PREPARATION
Before collage work begins, working-groups will be formed. Working-groups may be self-organized, or participants may be assigned to groups by the project coordinator. When a group has been assembled and members introduced to one another, a delivery pattern will be determined, and necessary mailing addresses will be exchanged. Then, collage work may begin.
More detailed information on the formation of working-groups can be found here: https://roundtablecollaboration.com/postal-collage-projects/postal-collage-working-groups/
THE PROCESS IN STAGES
STAGE ONE [INITIATION]
• Each and every participant will begin a collage, and will thereafter be called the Initiator, or Originator, of that work-in-progress. On a separate piece of paper, each Initiator will write their name and the date, plus any expressive, strategic, or documentary information they wish to pass along.
FIRST PASS
• Each Initiator will deliver the new work-in-progress and the accompanying informational sheet to the group-member who follows them in the sequence. Thus, each will receive a work-in-progress and info sheet from the group-member who precedes them in the sequence.
STAGE TWO [CONTRIBUTION]
• Each participant will contribute to the collage they’ve received. They will add their name and the date to the accompanying informational sheet, along with any additional information they wish to include.
SECOND PASS
• Each participant will, like before, deliver the work-in-progress and info sheet to the next group-member.
STAGE THREE [CONTRIBUTION]
• See Stage Two
THIRD PASS
• See Second Pass
STAGE FOUR [CONTRIBUTION]
• See Stage Two
FOURTH PASS
• See Second Pass
STAGE FIVE [CONTRIBUTION]
• See Stage Two
FIFTH PASS [FULL CIRCLE]
• See Second Pass. At this point, when the work is delivered, each participant will receive back the collage they, themselves, initiated, now transformed by contributions of the group.
STAGE SIX [COMPLETION]
• Each participant will complete the piece they initiated, and thereafter be considered the Principal Author of that piece. Each Principal Author will send their completed collage to Berkeley for exhibition.
NOTES
COMMITMENT
Participation requires a modest, though not insignificant commitment. Please carefully consider the following, before committing:
• Participants can expect to spend a few dollars on postage each month for six months.
• The project timeline must be respected. Consistent, dependable deliveries will be required in order to complete the delivery pattern and achieve the characteristic return of each piece to its originator.
• Each participant accepts responsibility for the completion of the piece they initiate, and agrees to deliver that piece for exhibition.
LIMITATIONS: SIZE, WEIGHT, and MATERIALS
In order to keep postal costs down, dimensions are limited to 9X12″ (229 x 305 mm) or smaller, and the use of lightweight materials is requested. Fold-outs and pop-ups are fine, as long as they fold/flatten down to 9X12″ (229 x 305 mm) or smaller, and can be packaged in an envelope or shallow box.
In most cases, works-in-progress are delivered by public postal services, and therefore, materials must conform to the legal and policy requirements of those postal services.
DOCUMENTATION
Participants are strongly encouraged to take documentary photographs and videos, and post them to the Round Table [Collaboration] Network, or send them to the Project Coordinator. At selected exhibitions, a slide-show/video will accompany the completed collages.
Collaborator accounts, descriptions, stories, and reflections enrich the project and are very much appreciated. Selected accounts may accompany the completed collages at exhibitions.
COMMUNICATION
Over the course of several months, people’s schedules change, sometimes suddenly, and in unforeseen ways. Project participants are encouraged to keep one another apprised of progress and delays.
AUTHORSHIP, AUTONOMY
Each collaborator will be the Principal Author of one collage (the one they start & finish), and a Contributing Author of four others.
A Contributing Author, while making their contribution, has sole authority regarding aesthetic development of the work-in-progress. When the contribution is made, and the work is passed along, that authority is relinquished to the next contributor.
A Principal Author, when completing the collage they started, has sole authority regarding aesthetic development and completion of the piece.
OWNERSHIP
Each collage, upon completion, becomes the property of its Principal Author. Principal Authors agree to exhibit their collage as part of the complete project in at least three exhibitions (Spring and Summer 2019).
THE TIMELINE
‘Send By‘ dates are recommendations aimed at assuring timely deliveries. Actual delivery times will vary. ‘Received By‘ dates are deadlines.
• On September 1, collage work officially begins
• On or before September 15, first post sent
• By October 1, first post received
• On or before October 15, second post sent
• By November 1, second post received
• On or before November 15, third post sent
• By December 1, third post received
• On or before December 15, fourth post sent
• By January 1, fourth post received
• On or before January 15, fifth post sent
• By February 1, fifth post received (full circle)
• On or before February 15, collages are completed and sent to Berkeley for exhibition
• By March 1, finished collages arrived in Berkeley