If lockdown has New Yorkers going postal, the independent journal Civilization has revived the tradition of mail art in order to make us all feel less isolated
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New York in the early 1960s, the pop artist Ray Johnson pioneered mail art, posting drawings and notes to friends, which he invited them to augment. His aim was to bring art out of the galleries, and to use the postal service as an element of the artwork.
Now, in 2020, as coronavirus rages through the city, the people behind Civilization – a singular print publication stuffed full of the musings of random New Yorkers – are reviving the concept. For $3 (£2.40), which you pay through their online store, they’ll send you a personalised letter. Open the eccentrically stamped envelope and you’ll find a four-page message that starts with your name, and an admission that the writer misses you.