Foster Column: John Foster
Accidental Mysteries: 07.08.12
Street posters, the kind of flotsam that exists near busy street corners, on light poles, walls — anywhere and everywhere in cities large and small, are easily overlooked unless you slow down and take an interest. Lost pets, a desire to meet others, save souls, anger and mental illness are found in these handmade signs.
These street signs were found on
UbuWeb, a large web-based educational resource for
avant-garde material, founded in 1996 by poet
Kenneth Goldsmith. It offers visual, concrete and
sound poetry, expanding to include
film and
sound art mp3 archives.
Accidental Mysteriesis an online curiosity shop of extraordinary things, mined from the depths of the onlineworld and brought to you each week by John Foster, a writer, designer and longtimecollector of self-taught art and vernacular photography. “I enjoy the search forincredible, obscure objects that challenge, delight and amuse my eye. More so, I enjoysharing these discoveries with the diverse and informed readers of DesignObserver.”
Editor's Note: All images are copyright of their originalowners.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Foster and his wife, Teenuh, have been longtime collectors of self-taught art and vernacular photography. Their collection of anonymous, found snapshots has toured the country for five years and has been featured in Harper’s, Newsweek Online and others.