It's only junk mail, but it's art to Anne

Oct 11 2007 by Liz Hands, The Journal

ARTIST Anne Cohen has decided to make a public point about the volume of junk mail falling through her front door.

Anne cast a concrete block into which was inserted a long metal spike.

The spike stands outside the front of her terraced home in Sidney Grove, Fenham, in Newcastle.

Since January 1, Anne has stuck every piece of junk mail which has been delivered by hand, but not through the postal service, on to the spike . She will continue the exercise until the end of the year, but already the column has topped 5ft.

A stopper on the top of the spike prevents other people adding material because Anne wants to see how much unwanted handouts are pushed through one door over the course of a year.

“It is amazing when you see how much material is there so far,” said Anne, who graduated in art and design from Chelsea Art School and took an MA in art and the environment at Sunderland University. It is such a waste of paper, inks and energy as most people just pick this sort of stuff up by the armful and bin it.

“The column has become a talking point and a lot of people stop and speak to me about it. They can believe how much is there because they get the same. You can say that it provides jobs, but it is also a dreadful waste of resources,” said Anne.

“You would think that people delivering the leaflets wouldn’t put them through the door when they see the spike, but they still do.” At least the spike came in useful recently when Anne’s son visited and leafed through the column to find a menu for the nearest takeaway.

“It is also an artwork because you can see looking down the column how the colours have changed and been washed out,” said Anne.

When the year is up Anne will consider how the artwork can be further developed, with a view to it going on show in a gallery.

Tony Henderson