John Evans papers
name: label: Creator
content: Evans, John, 1932-
label: Names
content: Ackerman, Blaster Al, 1939-2013
label: Names
content: Arenella, Roy
label: Names
content: Banana, Anna, 1940-
label: Names
content: Behmenburg, Christa
label: Names
content: Bleus, Guy
label: Names
content: Caldera, Leslie
label: Names
content: Chew, C. T. (Carl T.), 1948-
label: Names
content: Cleveland, Buster, -1998
label: Names
content: Cohen, Ryosuke, 1948-
label: Names
content: Crozier, Robin
label: Names
content: D'Angelo, Jerome, D.
label: Names
content: Dorenfeld, Morris David
label: Names
content: Dreva, Jerry, 1945-1997
label: Names
content: Evans, Donald
label: Names
content: Evans, James
label: Names
content: Evans, Walt
label: Names
content: Gaglione, Bill
label: Names
content: Held, John
label: Names
content: Higgins, E. F., 1949-
label: Names
content: Janssen, Ruud, 1959-
label: Names
content: Johnson, Ray, 1927-
label: Names
content: Jorgenssen, Tod
label: Names
content: Kasnowski, Chester
label: Names
content: Kaufmann, Peter W.
label: Artist
content: Kawara, K. (Japanese)
label: Names
content: Küstermann, Peter, 1950-
label: Names
content: Leigh, Michael
label: Names
content: Miller, David M.
label: Names
content: Morilla, Robert
label: Names
content: Pittore, Carlo
label: Names
content: Plunkett, Edward M. (1922-2011)
label: Names
content: Random, S. (Steven), 1954-
label: Names
content: Rocola, Robert
label: Names
content: Rosenberg, Marilyn K.
label: Names
content: Senser, Andreas, 1942-1989
label: Names
content: Spiegelman, Lon
label: Names
content: Tavenner, Pat
label: Names
content: Tisa, Benedict J.
label: Names
content: Tostada, John
label: Names
content: Trianfellos, Marya
label: Names
content: Von der Burg, Sonja
label: Names
content: Warren, Robert Penn, 1905-
topic: label: Topic
content: Mail art
label: Topic
content: Collage
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated by Margaret Evans, widow of John Evans, in 2013.
creator: label: Creator
content: Evans, John, 1932-
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Evans papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of John Evans, 1957-2012, bulk 1970s-2000, measure 7.1 linear feet and 1.00 GB and document the collage artist's involvement with mail art. The vast majority of letters are from mail artists, often with embellished envelopes and include  and a digital version of Collected Essays by John Held, Jr. Writings include a thesis about mail art by Marya Trianfellos. Subject files concern art stamps, mail art shows and events, Ray Johnson's death and memorial tributes to him. The most thoroughly documented mail art project, "John Evans Fake Collages," is of unknown origin. In addition, there are a few items relating to projects conceived by Evans and more substantial documentation of projects initiated by Christina Behmenburg, Leslie Caldera, Ryosuke Cohen, Peter W. Kaufmann, Angela and Peter Netmail.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: John Evans (1932-2012), a collage artist in New York City, was an active participant in mail art.  

After attending the Art Institute of Chicago, Evans moved to New York in 1963. He was a member of the Neo-Dada community and interested in Fluxus events. Meeting Ray Johnson and a few other mail artists at a party introduced Evans to mail art and led to many long term friendships. 

Between 1964 and 2000, Evans produced a daily collage of found objects collected from the street, pasted onto a sketchbook page, enhanced with watercolor, and stamped with the date.  Each collage included the image of a duck's head known as "Ursuline Duck," a reference to his friend Ursule Molinaro (1914-2000). The collages were, in effect, a diary that recorded everyday life and referenced his exhibition activities. John Evans: Collages, a monograph published in 2004, reproduced 364 collages representative of his style over time. His largest mail art project, "Fake John Evans Collages," spanned several years and was in progress at the time of his death.

John Evans died on October 5, 2012 following a heart attack.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7.1 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 1 Gigabyte
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1957-2012
label: Date
content: bulk 1970-2012
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.evanjohn
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Illustrated letters
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collectionis arranged as 4 series:

Series 1: Letters, 1957-2012 (Boxes 1-6, OV 8; 5.3 linear feet, ER01; 0.111 GB)

Series 2: Writings, 1983-1991 (Box 6; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Subject Files, 1970s-2012 (Boxes 6-7; 0.8 linear feet, ER02-ER03; 0.889 GB)

Series 4: Mail Art Projects, 1986-2012 (Box 7, OV 8; 0.8 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared in 2013 by Catherine S. Gaines. The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible in order to increase information about and access to more of our collections.
Minimal processing included arrangement to the series, subseries, and folder levels. Generally, items within folders were simply verified with folder titles, but not arranged further. Folders within boxes were not numbered. The collection was rehoused in archival containers and folders, but not all staples and clips were removed.
Born-digital records were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2019 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Illustrated letters
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of John Evans, 1957-2012, bulk 1970s-2000, measure 7.1 linear feet and 1.00 GB and document the collage artist's involvement with mail art. The vast majority of letters - many with embelllished envelopes -  are from mail artists. There is also a digital version of Collected Essays by John Held, Jr. Writings include a thesis about mail art by Marya Trianfellos. Subject files concern art stamps, Ray Johnson's death and subsequent memorial tributes, mail art shows and other events. The most thoroughly documented mail art project, "John Evans Fake Collages," is of unknown origin. In addition, there are a few items relating to projects conceived by Evans, and more substantial documentation of projects initiated by Christina Behmenburg, Leslie Caldera, Ryosuke Cohen, Peter W. Kaufmann, Angela and Peter Netmail. 

Evans's mail art correspondents include: Dr. Al Ackerman (Blaster), Anna Banana (Banana Productions), Roy Arenella, Guy Bleus (The Administration Centre 42.292), buZ blurr, Richard C., Leslie Caldera (Creative Thing), Carl T. Chew, Buster Cleveland, Ryosuke Cohen, Chuck Welch (Cracker Jack Kid), Robin Crozier, Jerome D'Angelo, Irene Dogmatic (Dogmmystique/Dogmatique Misticky), Morris David Dorenfeld, Jerry Dreva, Donald Evans, James Evans, Walt Evans, Fa Ga Ga Ga, A. M. Fine, Bill Gaglione (Picasso Gaglione), John Held, Jr., HICO, E. F. Higgins, III, Rudd Janssen, Dianne Jenkins, Ray Johnson, Tod Jorgenssen, Chester Kasnowski, On Kawara, Gene Laughter, Michael Leigh (A.1. Waste Paper Co., Ltd.), David M. Miller, Minoy, Mohammed, Robert Morilla, Art Nahpro (Paul Jackson), Carlo Pittore, E. M. Plunkett, Steve Random, Robert Rocola, Marilyn K. Rosenberg, Andreas Senser, Skooter, Smegma (Scarlatina Lust, Alex Torrid Zone Igloo, Pardon My Myrth, Alexander Josef Hirka), D. C. spaulding, Lon Spiegelman, John Tostada (Tostdada, Oh Boy Mailart!), Pat Tavenner (Mail Queen), Third Story, Benedict J. Tisa, Sonja Van der Burg (Afzed), Whitson (Peter Whitson Warren), and Robert Warren.