The World Exists to Be Put on a Postcard: Artists' postcards from 1960 to now (BRITISH MUSEUM)

Synopsis

Postcards Are Often Bought Quickly And Disposed Of Without Much Thought. Artists' Postcards, However, From The 1960s Onwards, Are A Significant Part Of The History Of Contemporary Art. The Ready Familiarity Of A Tourist Postcard Means It Has Rich Potential To Be Subverted, With Recognizable Images Appropriated Or Manipulated For Political, Satirical, Revolutionary Or Playful Intent. The Only Requirement Is That It Fits Through A Letterbox And, Unlike Traditional Works Of Art, Requires Nothing More Than A Stamp For It To Be Seen On The Other Side Of The World. Being Made Of Everyday Material, Postcards Invite Handling, Ask To Be Included In Our Lives, Picked Up, Turned Over And Shown To Friends. The Inexpensiveness Of Production Encourages Artists To Experiment With Their Design. Foreword -- Introduction -- Artists' Work With Postcards: Definition And Significance -- 1. 1960s And 1970s -- 2. Graphic Postcards -- 3. Postcard Invitations -- 4. Political Postcards -- 5. Altered Postcards -- 6. Portrait Postcards -- 7. Sets Of Postcards -- 8. Composite Postcards -- 9. Recent Postcards -- Notes -- Further Reading And Acknowledgments -- List Of Illustration References -- Picture Credits -- Index. Jeremy Cooper. Published On The Occasion Of An Exhibition Held At The British Museum, February 7-august 4, 2019. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.