TO THE MEMORY OF

MARILYN DAMMANN

AKA SHADOW

Marilyn at Eagle River, Lake Superior

August 1, 1995 - photo by Guido Vermeulen

Artwork by MD on "transformation", a contribution to my project "Signs & Stones in the moonlight" (GV) The transformation now is completed.

During the 18th independent arts festival in St Niklaas, Belgium (between April 21-23, 2006) a tribute was organized to Marilyn Dammann: artist books, notebooks, photos, ATC, watercolors, an organic chess play, poetry ... all this was shown in 2 glass cases and on one wall, part of the Earth Charter installation

The whole collection was the result of a collaboration between Geert De Decker, Guido Vermeulen and Marilyn of course ...

Dedicated to Marilyn Dammann:

The best way to escape one's own death is to find a common language with our shadows

W.R. Melnikow, RUSSIA

Mail received today, 11 October 2005

Dear Guido,

I am really shocked when I heard from Diane Bertrand (Canada) that Marilyn died.
As you know I am a slow mail artist, but Marilyn answered all the time quickly.
Therefore and because I was not in Vienna I got the message so late.
Our letters included 2, 3 or more pages of written conversations and several pieces of art work.
She is the best and my deepest, dearest mail art friend.
I am very sad.
May her soul find the way to the light, to god.
Please if you have more information let me know.
All the best,

Alexander Charistos, AUSTRIA

TRIBUTE TO SHADOW who was my highlight in mail art.
Listen to the silence she left.
May God bless her soul.

Amazing, today September 26 K.Frank Jensen from Denmark arrived in Brussels and we had a meeting. One of the items he gave me was this TAROT ICON card on the Empress. He intended to mail this to Marilyn but her passing prevented the mail. So instead he kept it and decided it to give it to me when we met.
An emotional moment I can assure you.

The card is the result of some water damage, so very close to Marilyn's ephemeral art creations. On the card Frank wrote:

"Empress of the ceiling
After watery damage the Empress emerged from the sky,
impressing herself upon me:
Here I am, take me, do something to me!
Her demands were inevitable and now she has gone,
leaving only a photographic impression of herself."

On the back of the card: November 2004 for Marilyn
September 2005, and now for Guido

Thank you Frank! What a print this is and how truly truly shadowlike (GV)

Center page of the art zine "THE CLIFFS SOUNDINGS", a memorial to M.D.

Vertin Press Publication, Calumet, Michigan, USA, Summer 2005

Comment from the zine:

"Marilyn Dammann lived in the Keweenaw Bay watershed of Lake Superior, where she explored the infinite possibilities of the natural world, her work was inspired by the poetry, the mystery and magic, the rhythms and patterns of the earth. May we all remember the beauty of Marilyn."

Dear Guido,

Yes, its very sad news to hear of Marilyn's passing, she will me missed in all our hearts and arts.
Field Study is holding a show as hommage, I will send you photos once they are taken.

All my best wishes
David

Shadow In The Landscape
Marilyn Dammann Memorial Exhibition
4 - 17 June 2005

FRONT Artspace 79 Ryrie Street Geelong AUSTRALIA

Marilyn Dammann, American environmental artist, sculptor and artistbook maker, died suddenly on May 22, leaving a large void in the mailart network and the field of environmental art. This exhibition, a homage from the archive of Field Study International, features artistbooks, documentations of installations and correspondence spanning over a decade.

Marilyn referred to herself as SHADOW, an expression of how she worked with nature. Rather than transforming natural materials into artifacts, she worked in the environment and her mark was no more than a trace; she created temporary installations that change with time and the effect of the elements.

This exhibition is the first time such a large body of Marilyn's work has been shown in Australia. It features many of her interventions in nature and the SHADOW at work.

For more information contact David Dellafiora, AUSTRALIA

Email fluxusstudy@hotmail.com

Hello Guido,

I'm grieving for Shadowork. I loved her very, very beautiful mail art and now I regret it's too late to say this to her in a letter.

Isabelle Vannobel wrote me the terrible news.

In June I could not participate to the tributes, so I did one in Arles on July 19 at the "Bourse du Travail". I made a performance, a mail art archives exhibition and a tribute to M.D.
Later, during a mail art exhibition in the town of Le Caylar on August 5 I hung up a Shadow mail art piece on birds. Lots of members of the association joined me to honor Marilyn's memory.


Marielle Conte, FRANCE

Poem written on June 26
and art work
by Steffen Markus, SWITZERLAND

Steffen mailed this Tatjana Neuber in Germany who forwarded it to me
(GV)

These trees near Lake Suviana

are a tribute to

THE SOUL

of Marilyn Dammann

Massimo Medola, ITALY

Photo: Monica and Olivier at my 50th birthday party
in Brussels, March 2004. (GV)
Dear Guido,

I am writing to you from Madrid to express my condolences at the loss of your friend.

I am sure she always wanted you to be a strong and active person promoting peace through mailart, so I have no doubt you will continue doing that even more to honor her memory.
I hope you will be all right during this period of mourning.

With best regards,
O
Olivier Urbain, JAPAN/ BELGIUM
T:AP Network Coordinator
olivierurbain@yahoo.com
http://www.tapnet.info

&

Dear Guido,
My most sincere condolences to you and the family.
Always.

Mo
Monica Arac de Nyeko, UGANDA

T:AP member
aracdenyeko@yahoo.com

Dear Guido,

This is indeed very sad; Marilyn contributed some beautiful artwork to my issue of Friour (including the cover), and I had a wonderful, if brief, correspondence with her.

Please send my condolences to her family and community.

In peace,

Marisa Antonaya, THAILAND / SPAIN

T:AP member
plnet@mac.com

Cover of issue 3 of Friour Network Magazine, produced by Marisa with cover art by Marilyn

For June 26,

International Memorial Day

to honor Marilyn Dammann

aka Shadow,

Giovanni Strada, Italy

stradada@libero.it