> contents / Robin Crozier / José Van den Broucke /

The following text is a part of José his "Robin Crozier" dossier which includes a collection of letters from Robin. The original dossier is send to Robin his wife, the text itself has been used also for a booklet with photographs and artworks by José. The booklet is beside an in memoriam also a registration of artworks and letters all related to Robin Croziers networking. The text has been made available for you by José Van den Broucke.

 

The name Robin Crozier appeared for the first time in my life when I received Libellus 2, edited Nov.1980 by Guy Schraenen. I got Robin's address when the same Guy Schraenen sent me a list of addresses from essential mail-artists-networkers beginning 1982. I received my first mail from Robin during 1982.
The night of 21 December 2001, Chris Nolan, Robin's wife called me to say that her beloved one had passed away.
Between those two dates I was in regular touch with Robin and his wife. The contact with Robin was usualy by mail and was mainly about his words&images-networking-meditations.
During one period I visited them twice a year at Sunderland. The last decade I only visited them once, at Rydal, in August 2001.
Afterwards, when I returned home and the doctors told Robin he had not long to live, I had telephone-conversations with Robin, who encouraged me to continue the observation of the daily things of human life, from the angle of an artist, a poet, a lover.
Later, after the day of the funeral ceremony in the cold but bracing sea-wind at Morecambe, letters and the remember Robin Crozier"-mail arrived. It confronted me with so many partial images of the person who was called "the most famous unknown artist in the world", and caused a dilemma as to participate in the hype or not. By doing so I was running the risk of participating in the possibly false image-building based on partial information, or by staying aside, running the risk of letting all the important Crozier art-activity fade away into oblivion.
Doing the "I knew Robin"-thing seems to me acting opposite to what Robin's work was all about, and to what I feel towards death and life. Doing nothing seems to be a lack of respect to the work of Robin and the M.A.network itself.

Robin Crozier now is a memory. His life has ended. His work is done.

I am still alive and I'm able to remember some of the many things he did.
The Flux Archive of the Tate Gallery will conserve Robin's life works.

So instead of making one more "For Robin"-piece of M.A. I will

1. I will
send some of the M.A. I got from Robin to the Tate Archive. I'll do this via the address of Chris Nolan. This text/booklet includes a list of what I sent. I do this instead of making quality reproductions of it all, for you, because of financial and artistic reasons. The artistic reasons are my kind of "homage to Robin's work". I learned about his word-copying (handwritten-deSCRIPTtions and other "copied by Robin Crozier"- handmade "COPIES") and from his conversations about sending the same word-copies of the completed Memorandum/Memory-sheets to Jean Brown. Later on, Jean Brown gave it all to the Paul Getty Foundation, after which Robin also sent his later M/M-word-copies to the same address. This was until the P.G.Foundation announced to Robin that it was no longer interested to receive any more new M/M-sheets. This "end" of an "ongoing project" which was conceived as a life-long continuation, was unacceptable to Robin and thus became subject of a correspondence-discussion with the P.G.Foundation. Now, photocopies of these word-copies, together with the new handmade-copies of the later M/M-sheets will be conserved at the Tate Gallery Archive.
So by describing to you instead of image-copying the work, I intend to send you interesting information, the way Robin would possibly have done it himself (it would have been handwritten.)

This text/booklet will be the introduction to my Crozier-dossier for the Tate Gallery.
Together with this I deliver to The Tate Gallery:
- The original photographs of Robin walking at Sunderland 1994 and at Rydal 2001.
- M.A. received xx.xx.1984(?):
(the cover is the envelope) A project catalogue, titled "views eight compiled and edited by Robin Crozier 1984" // b&w photocopied project participations.
- M.A. received 28.01.1988:
A handmade A4-book titled "icarus in sunderland". With handwritten texts and drawings on recylced A4 copies.
- M.A. received 31.05.1988:
(original envelope lost) Part (6) of a sending of a series of butterflies cut out from pink paper // cuttings.
- M.A. received 04.03.1989:
Envelope without the recipient's address (sent within another post-parcel) with words: "many random numbers for mirei and josé from robin", containing a collection of small pieces of paper with words and numbers // writings.
- M.A. received 10.10.1989:
Recycled M.A. envelope with on the frontside a drawn and colored Robin Crozier butterfly and on the backside a Robin
Crozier handwritten text, containing a series of 21 cards, sized 10,5x11,5cm, titled "Deaths Head Moth" // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 16.12.1989:
(original envelope lost) Two letters on ONETABLEONETABLE-sheets with automatic writtings, a MEMO(RANDOM)/MEMO(RY) form dated 24.2.88 in the shape of a 9 pages stapled booklet, a 13 pages A4 stapled booklet, titled "found cover", a 6 pages A5 stapled booklet titled "Art Object", plus several letters and texts in automatic writting, plus two envelopes with cuttings and shreds (one with indication: "from robin to josé" and one with "from mirei to josé.) (All these materials might be from different mailings but were collected together afterwards into the 16.12.1989-envelope // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 22.06.1990:
Recycled M.A.envelope, containing a letter and 4 automatic-writings with subject
"Icarus", plus 5 A6 sized collages titled "Film"(A-E), plus a series of cuttings in the shape of a hand // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 18.07.1990:
Recycled M.A. envelope, on the reverse a Robin Crozier handwritten text about Ray Johnson, containing 9 A4 sized sheets of ONETABLEONETABLE 15:7:90 dated marker-
drawings on 03 AUG 1980 dated photocopies, plus 11 different sized sheets with
Icarus-drawings-on-photocopies // writings on b&w photocopy.
- M.A. received 16.08.1990:
Recycled M.A. envelope, containing a A4 sized SOUP OR OPUS recto/verso-letter-
drawing, plus 6 collages on received Temple°Post A6 sized photos // writings and drawings, collage.
- M.A. received 17.12.1990:
Recycled envelope with on both sides Robin Crozier handwritten Wanda-texts, containing a series of 8 A6 sized handwritten and drawn cards titled "Clues to Wanda (not very clear)" // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 07.01.1991:
Recycled envelope, on the reverse a Robin Crozier handwritten Wanda-text, containing 12 Wanda-ish collages using received Temple°Post photo-shreds, plus an automatic-writing booklet composed by 3 A4 copies // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 13.02.1991(?):
M.A. recycled envelope, containing 2 postcard sized collage-cards plus a postcard sized booklet titled "Wanda Cook Book" dated 1992 // writings & collage
- M.A. received ?:
(original envelope lost) A mailing with 32 photocopies format A4, as answer to the receipt of the 17.04.91 Icarus-book, done on 5.05.1991 // b&w photocopies.
- M.A. received 25.06.1991:
Recycled envelope, containing a book, 7 pages, size 16/18cm, done with the painter's-easel-stamp and the cow-stamp plus shreds of Temple°Post-photos send by me, titled "Memories of the Belgian country", dated 1991 // rubberstamp, collage.
- M.A. received 16.07.1991:
Temple°Post-Icarus-postcard sent on by Robin, with interventions from Robin and from Reed Altemus // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 26.08.1991:
Recycled envelope, containing a series of 5 collages of Wanda-ish magazine-cuttings on A6 color-photographs made at Sunderland, dated 18:3:91, plus other magazine-cuttings, // plus a letter // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 25.09.1992:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing a series of 5 postcard sized Wanda-ish collage books titled "Photography in Belgium"(1-5) // collage.
- M.A. received xx.xx/1992(?):
recycled envelope, containing a series of A4 magazine-sheets with Wanda-ish images in plastic cases, as materials for a never realized "LOVE BOOK", plus a letter about it // colorprinted magazine-sheets showing Wanda-ish publicities.
- M.A. received 29.03.1993:
M.A.-recycled envelope, containing 3 "to josé from robin. July'93"-booklets (collages & automatic writting), 2 of them packed in recycled Temple°post envelopes // writings & collage.
- M.A. received xx.03.1995:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing a A5 sized booklet, published by Nobody (Litsa Kaschau Spathi, Germany), titled " Blue Book" // photocopied duo-collages.
- M.A. received 24.05.1995:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing an A5 sized booklet titled "what's on at the cinema, for josé, from robin", collages on a recycled french "cinema-spectacles-loisirs" magazine "Sortir".
- M.A. received 15.06.1995:
M.A.-recycled envelope, containing a series of small cards with Wanda-ish pieces of fabrics and porn-magazine-cuttings, fingerprints plus marker written words and lines, all put into a small plastic envelope // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received xx.11.1995:
Envelope containing a A5 size booklet titled "for josé (the butterfly collector) from robin (who collects wanda) a collection of pretty girls Sunderland 27:11:95" // magazine cuttings of a series of small women portraits
- M.A. received 09.01.1996:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing a A4 booklet titled "the princess diana and wanda picture book for josé" // collages of Wanda-ish Diana magazine-images and b&w copied Wanda-ish collages.
- M.A. received 26.03.1996:
envelope containing a A4 sized booklet, with request to add on and send to Wanda Spathi, Germany, but never completed nor sent // b&w photocopied Wanda-ish collages.
- M.A. received 12.05.1997:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing the worked up-(glued Network Post labels) Luna Bisonte Prods-1997 booklet NUE, a letter about Wanda, a returned sheet of Temple°Post-mail with additions // mixed techniques.
- M.A. received 16.10.1997:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing an A5-sized booklet titled "the wanda makeupbook for josé from robin", collages on a recycled mode magazine.
- M.A. received 25.08.1998:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing n°26/45 issue 6 of César Figueiredo's The Last 69; worked up with red & pink marker // writings on b&w photocopy.
- M.A. received 15.10.1998:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing the worked up (collage) Luna Bisonte Prods-1998 booklet SLOW // collage on b/w photocopy.
- M.A. received 03.03.1999:
M.A.recycled envelope, containing a A5 size booklet titled "Icons, images fading to memories" // Wanda-ish collages plus a collection of prepared but not used Wanda-ish magazine-cuttings.
- M.A. received xx.03.1999:
M.A. recycled envelope, containing a postcard-size booklet, titled "Wanda Photographs Wanda" // Wanda-ish collages.
- M.A. received 18.05.00:
Recycled envelope, containing a calendar composed of 12 pages of Wanda-ish magazines, titled: "The other side of Wanda" // collage.

M.A. received from Robin Crozier correspondents after his passing away:

- M.A. received from Serge Segay, containing a letter, copies of collaboration Segay-Crozier-art, and one collective Crozier-Segay work taken from the ongoing Vittore Baroni project "Accumulator".

Letters of homage to Robin Crozier, sent by:

- Lancilloto Bellini
- Ruggero Maggi
- Johan Van Geluwe / Museum of Museums
- Michaël Lumb
- MailArtist PWK
- Emilio Morandi
- Vittore Baroni
- Michaël Leigh A1
- Gianni Simone (Kairan N°5)
- Mark Greenfield
- Xstof Bruneel
- Baudhuin Simon

Outprints of e-mails by:

- Sztuka Fabryka, Geert De Decker 
- Vortice Arengtina <vortice@fibertel.com.ar>  
- Clemente Padin <clepadin@adinet.com.uy>  
- John M. Bennett <bennett.23@osu.edu>  

2. I will
add to this text/booklet the original prints of original Robin Crozier rubber stamps.

3. I will
add to this text/booklet color-copies of the photos of Robin walking at Sunderland 1994 and Robin walking at Rydal 2001.

4. I will
glue the photo I made the morning after Chris' telephone about Robin's passing away on the cover of this text/booklet. It is a photo I made from within my car while travelling to my job. That strange morning, with its soft rain was happening in the outside world.

5. I will
add the "cARTed" printed b&w postcard, based on one of the pages of the 1991 Icarus book I made with materials from Robin's post and the photo's I made at Seaburn, near Sunderland, during the period of Icarus-M.A.-exchanges. The printed "A Letter From/To Icarus"-postcard, must be added to this booklet, later when it will be ready.

6. I will
add to all this, the letter I sent to Chris, concerning the impossibility to do my planned "Homage to Robin Crozier" at the II'th Festival Della Performance at Venice may 2002.

7. I will
ask you all to remember Robin's aversion to the cult of fame & overacting. So all of you, artists, networkers, maniacs, lovers and disappointed ones, please let his death rest in peace and you sleep well. Don't forget the work of Robin Crozier. Just forget what happened on 21.12.O1. May Wanda appear in your dreams. She's such a versatile lover.

For more information about Robin Crozier look at:
- T.A.M. The Interviews "Mail-interview with Robin Crozier" 1995 http://www.iuoma.org/interview.html 
- John M. Bennet <bennet.23@osu.edu>

This text/booklet is the introduction to my Crozier-dossier as sent to Chris Nolan which will be added to the Crozier-dossier in the Tate Gallery Archive, London.

It will be multiplied on 5 luxury and 25 mag-sized copies. They are not numbered. They have no other value than their content.

I will also sent out this text into the Internet-network.

José Vandenbroucke Temple Post june 2002

 

Copyright © José Van den Broucke