Public Exposure/Private Disclosure
an installation
Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, 1983
A gallery became a quiet place for letter writing. Five personal letters from me to strangers hung on a wall. Comfortable seating invited visitors to sit, think, and write. Phone books from all over the USA were on shelves; maps stimulated memories; various papers, pens, and a typewriter offered choices for commuication. A mailbox hung on the wall throughout the month-long installation, after which all letters composed within this participatory environment were stamped and mailed by me. After a month, the box was full. And now, who writes letters?