zine, [zeen] noun. 1. abbr. of fanzine; 2. any amateurly-published periodical. Oxford Reference

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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Growing Up In The Post or Raised By Mailartists

Growing Up In The Post or Raised By Mailartists
Mark Pawson

10.5cm x 7.5cm, 12 pages.

Stamped 31st Oct 2015

50p


Mark Pawson is an important figure in the UK zine world. A life long champion of DIY art and print, both a maker and distributor. One of Mark's early zines is an obsessive account of his love of Kinder eggs - where he bought them, how much they cost, and thorough reviews of the toys inside. More significantly perhaps, he kept the zine in print for 20 years, and sold around 10,000 copies. That's a lot of stapling. 





I picked up Growing Up In The Post from Mark at a small press fair in London a few weeks ago. At only 50p, Mark described it as being "part of his pocket money range" (amongst other makers selling their zines at inflated prices, making your work available for a handful of change is almost a provocation in itself). 

The zine describes how, at the age of 13, Mark found himself as part of the International Postal Art Network which at that time was "a tremendously energetic self-created forum for equal exchange  of work and ideas". As Mark goes on to explain this process of exchange and sharing informs the way he chooses to work now. 

Mark has a large and varied amount of work available from his website. Both his collaborative and solo work is here: http://www.mpawson.demon.co.uk/pawone.html 

His range of badges can be found here: http://www.mpawson.demon.co.uk/badges.html

And other people's books and zines can be seen, and bought, here: http://www.mpawson.demon.co.uk/books.html

While you are on Mark's website check out the events pages for some interesting DIY art and zine fairs in the UK. And if you bump into Mark at a fair, tell him we sent you.  


Review by Nathan Penlington








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