Comments on: Don't forget his ubiquitous bunny heads.

Don't forget his ubiquitous bunny heads.

Specklet — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:36:02 -0800

The inventor of mail art and master of performance events he liked to call "nothings", "the most famous unknown artist in the world" has caught my fancy. He called his enigmatic collages "moticos" and stored them in cardboard boxes to be shown in Grand Central Station or on the street. He playfully hinted numerous times about his mortality; even his closest friends and associates agree that his carefully planned death was his last "nothing". I can't wait to see How To Draw A Bunny. Here's an open letter to him.

By: Maishe

Maishe — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:43:05 -0800

I just saw "How To Draw A Bunny" this past weekend. It was excellent. Highly recommend it.

By: clevershark

clevershark — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:56:57 -0800

The death story seems interesting, but the page background seems especially designed to give one a headache. I had to stop halfway through (at most).

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 13:58:33 -0800

Yes, it is a wonderful movie. His house/studio was amazing. *Ray* in peace.

By: immer geradeaus

immer geradeaus — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:07:53 -0800

I honestly watched that movie last night before I went to sleep. Fantastic movie. Thought-provoking artist. Thanks for the foundation of sites to learn more about him.

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:09:40 -0800

Also, this from 1999. And a photo of Ray

By: Slack-a-gogo

Slack-a-gogo — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:16:45 -0800

I thought the movie was pretty mediocre but I stuck with it because the subject was so fascinating. But I never actually learned how to draw a bunny.

By: ryanshepard

ryanshepard — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:23:07 -0800

I've watched "How to Draw a Bunny" a number of times now + was really struck by Norman Soloman - esp. the mention in the director's commentary that most of his photos of Johnson and the mid-50s NYC art scene were never developed ... anyone out there know more about him? Seems like an equally fascinating and enigmatic character.

By: banished

banished — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:44:36 -0800

So where can we buy the book "Mind Invaders. How to Fuck (With) the Media?"

By: numlok

numlok — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:55:18 -0800

Here's an humorous piece of related news I picked up from some post-inspired googling: Luther Blisset - anarchist hero. Thanks Specklet for the afternoon brain-poke (I needed it!). Ps. On preview, I think I'll call my new art movement "Post-Inspired"... has a nice ring, and matches my current disposition extremely well.

By: immer geradeaus

immer geradeaus — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:59:19 -0800

But I never actually learned how to draw a bunny. The instructions are at the very beginning of the movie. Elementary, but they are there.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 15:08:22 -0800

Faded Blue Jeans is, indeed, a terrible choice for a background texture on that carefully planned death page. I think I will be adding How to Draw a Bunny to my NetFlix queue thanks to the recommendations here. Thanks!

By: jaronson

jaronson — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 15:56:52 -0800

I saw "How to Draw a Bunny" a month ago. Highly recommended. Somewhere I heard (probably in the movie) that Ray Johnson was "the artists' artist."

By: nervousfritz

nervousfritz — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 16:17:06 -0800

Having operated under the name of the New York Correspondance School for a decade, in 1973 Ray Johnson suddenly declared that it had died. It is hereby re-opened.

By: es_de_bah

es_de_bah — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 16:29:20 -0800

thanks. never heard of this guy before.

By: matteo

matteo — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 16:46:44 -0800

great post, thanks

By: iconomy

iconomy — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 18:26:48 -0800

Specklet, this is a great post! I've been interested in him for some time now. Can't wait to see this movie.

By: longsleeves

longsleeves — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 21:15:59 -0800

I need to see the bunny movie I guess, because my first impression from the fpp links was that here is an annoying crank who wasted most his own and a lot of other people's time and then caused as much annoyance and pointless trouble as he could arrange for in effecting his own demise. Also, could someone make a bunny face out of ()s and ^s?

By: Bugbread

Bugbread — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 02:44:31 -0800


()   ()
(^ ^)

By: Jon-o

Jon-o — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 06:25:17 -0800

How to Draw a Bunny was one of the most interesting movies that I've seen in ages. Do you suppose we could set up a MeFi mail art ring?