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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2009 8:08:05 GMT
Marie Morel is not one of the grand masters. She is a fascinating woman who lives in a small village with her children. Yet her works are regularly exposed in galeries and museums, normally not big places because her works are intimate and you need to be able to lean close to them to see all of the details. I have corresponded with her for more than 20 years and met her once, in her village. Champagne was brought out and I was shown her workshop, and she gave me one of her paintings, which had recently been exposed in a museum in Reims. It was quite surprising, because the subject of the painting was me. Marie Morel first became famous with the French postal system. She started with mail art - decorated envelopes which break all postal rules but which most postal systems have learned to tolerate. I got this example off the internet: I myself have received about 30 envelopes like this, sometimes made out of wood, sometimes with a big hole through the middle, with metal keys glued on or moss or glitter or doll eyes... and decorated in infinite detail, front and back. The post office treated all of these treasures with inhabitual tenderness. I will try to scan some of my own and post them here. She also does paintings of all sizes, on all sorts of subjects with no taboos. Some of her works are hilarious and others very sad. Her mood of the moment is very clearly reflected in all of her work, and there was much new joy after the birth of her children. This is her workshop. And this is Marie Morel, my secret unusual friend.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 21, 2009 8:51:08 GMT
My god -- she is brilliant! I love naive art, but hers really goes beyond that. There is a definite informed sensibility at work there. What a great, intense eagle-like stare she has.
What is she like and how did you all start corresponding? Thank you so much for showing us this.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2009 7:39:04 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2009 12:28:28 GMT
These are wonderful K.,thank you. I am fascinated by her workroom, a piece of art in it's own right. A kind of ordered chaos. Yet,I'm sure she knows where everything is in that room. Her work reminds me a bit of Joseph Cornell and his boxes (without the color) pieced from found objects in NYC.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 22, 2009 18:17:58 GMT
I can't stop looking at these pictures!
Kerouac, I imagine you have more than one of her paintings, but do you display the envelopes on your walls as well? Is that even possible, what with the wealth of detail on both sides?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2009 17:54:23 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 24, 2009 19:11:43 GMT
I love these so much! Joie de vivre surrounded by the word oui is beyond wonderful.
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Post by Jazz on Feb 25, 2009 10:04:41 GMT
Beautiful use of colour and texture and her studio is a work of art. It fascinates me how we create in such totally different spaces. You're lucky I'm not your postman, Kerouac...I'd whip out your letters (unread, of course), stuff them into plain envelopes and stealthily build up my private stash of these miniature art pieces.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2009 10:25:00 GMT
I always tried to imagine how many times the envelopes were passed around for general admiration before finally being deposited in my mailbox.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2010 17:41:16 GMT
The performance that I saw concerning Marie Morel last month in Avignon naturally brought her to the forefront of my mind again. And so I have resurrected a few more of her envelopes.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 10, 2010 17:55:39 GMT
Oh, what a treat to see more of these!
Look how gently the third one down was canceled. The postal worker must have spent time finding a good spot for the cancellation stamp.
France must not be as paranoid as the US, where the "scary world" envelope might have been subjected to the bomb squad.
Are those little squares of pasted fabric around the sheep? Love it!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2010 20:02:48 GMT
I recently thought of this woman and her fantastic work,was going to come in here and dredge her up and voila! Even her choice of postage stamp (which I am picky about as well if I can be...),is artistic and lends to her craft. Thanks for the update. Her workroom is still a marvel to these eyes.
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Post by fumobici on Aug 10, 2010 21:39:27 GMT
Hadn't seen this, thanks for the bump. These pieces are priceless. Art is all that matters.
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Post by Jazz on Aug 17, 2010 22:45:17 GMT
Beautiful to see yet more of Marie's art. I have often looked at this thread. How special to be her friend and receive these. (I wish I was her friend).
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 6:05:41 GMT
One of my resolutions for 2012 is to write to Marie Morel using an envelope of my own making that I hope will be worthy of her.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 26, 2011 6:55:38 GMT
What a lovely way to honor her friendship & her art!
It was sort of funny for me to see this subject heading on the main page tonight. That's because of a minor coincidence. This afternoon, one of the guests at the Christmas party used the phrase "naive art". Another guest, who's quite well-educated, said that she'd never heard the term, commenting that she was surprised at herself for not knowing it.
It is odd how things get past us sometimes.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 11:38:42 GMT
Oh!! I thought there was going to be some recent "installment" of Ms. Morels work in here. 'Tis ok though,it was well worth revisiting one of my favorite threads on this forum. My, she does inspire me!!
Have you heard from her at all K2? I do hope she is doing well. Somehow I think she is just fine.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 11:55:26 GMT
I still receive something from her about once a month, but unfortunately the days of the beautiful envelopes are finished. But I think I might look to see how to expand on her work a bit more here.
Since her name and address are public (I'll post her current address soon), perhaps those who are interested could all design their own envelopes and send her messages from around the world as a nice way to start the new year. However, I do have my doubts about the tolerance of international postal services, so it might be necessary to put a personalized envelope inside a more mundane one for it to reach her.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2011 12:14:02 GMT
I would so love doing that!!! In a heartbeat!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2013 15:26:41 GMT
Any word or update on Marie and or her work Kerouac?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2013 16:33:39 GMT
Well, she still sends me her little self-published magazine about 6 times a year. However, it looks like she has had a very calm year and has not had any exhibitions outside of her own workshop and "by appointment only." Somebody operates her official website with updates when available: Marie Morel official website
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2013 16:40:07 GMT
Good to know, thanks for the update. Her work has always intrigued me in a most haunting way and having a" calm" year can't be a bad thing. I could use one myself....
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2013 17:05:02 GMT
I think her children must be at about the adolescent boiling point age -- even when you live in a tiny village (for example, she doesn't even have an address -- when I visited her, all I knew was that it was "right across from the church" and if you write to her, you just put her name on the envelope with the postal code and village name), I'm sure that teens reach the boiling point even in a place like that -- or because they are living in a place like that!
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Post by htmb on Jul 26, 2013 0:58:44 GMT
I had never seen this thread, so I'm glad you brought it up, Casimira. Fascinating!
I'd love to hear more.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2014 15:36:28 GMT
Any updates on Ms.Morel Kerouac?
This is likely one of my favorite threads on this whole board.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2014 17:14:05 GMT
Well, I missed her latest gallery show in Paris even though I had an invitation to the opening.
I also have an order form for a huge art book of her work, but I keep hesitating about what to do because it costs 85 euros.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2014 0:41:22 GMT
I missed this thread. I also did art postal, back when one actually posted letters, and they have been exhibited, including in Paris. Yes, the postiers were always very gentle about where they put the cancellations, and often did them by hand. And yes, of course I always sought out proper stamps. I was furious when I sent one to a friend who had moved to Argentina (this is not the Argentine friend I often mention)and she cut off the uncancelled stamps and sent them back to me, destroying my work. What the .... ?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2014 14:03:22 GMT
I'm sure the book is beautiful. Although, your collection, the real tangible art is priceless. (I'm not up on my monetary values. What is 80 euros the equivalent of in USD?)
I wouldn't mind owning a copy. Her work has always blown me away.
Thanks for the update K.
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Post by htmb on Dec 29, 2014 14:25:56 GMT
I would think that since you have original art it's much more gratifying than purchasing the book, unless, of course, the book is something you feel you must have.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2014 16:03:09 GMT
casimira, any currency conversion tool will tell you that - obviously the exchange rate varies. Here's just one of many: www.xe.com/fr/currencyconverter/ On my computer it shows up in French; change it to English or one of several other languages at the top right corner. Current rates: 80.00 EUR = 97.5154 USD 80.00 EUR = 113.287 CAD So as you can see, if I do go to Amsterdam at the end of this winter, I'll be very broke and have to watch daily purchases!
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