Sackville, Canada: Struts Gallery, 2003
[68 pp.], 24 x 10 cm., softcover
Edition size unknown

The Rubber Stamp Project began in 1996 when then-Director of Struts Gallery Gregory Elgstrand began commissioning artists to create works which could be stamped onto all outgoing mail from the centre for three months. The only stipulation was that the work had to fit on the back of a standard #10 envelope.

The series began with a somewhat incendiary text by Michael Fernandes that tackled the context directly: THE ROLE OF THE ARTIST RUN CENTRE IS TO BRING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT. It was soon followed by a similarly forthright work by Barbara Sternberg that read BUSINESS IS BUSINESS, CULTURE IS NOT BUSINESS.

While many of the initial works were text-based, artists such as The Royal Art Lodge, Jon Claytor, Daniel Barrow, Shary Boyle, Erik Edson and others contributed illustrative work to the series.

This hand-stamped volume collects 8 years’ worth of stamps, by 31 different artists: Jen Budney, Michael Buckland, Fredette Frame, Barbara Sternberg, Dyana Werden, Annie Dunning, Cliff Eyland, Jon Claytor, Gregory Elgstrand, Terry Piercey, Marty Jackson, Erik Edson, Melissa Marr, Lucie Chan, Shary Boyle, Shawna Dempsey & Lori Millan, Andrea Mortson, Daniel Barrow, Sylvia Nickerson, John Murchie, The Royal Art Lodge, Jason Logan, Sure Rose, Alison Norlen, Candice Lin, Anthea Black, Jessica MacCormack, Isabelle Devos, Alexandra Flood, Melissa Marr, and Amanda MacDonald.