Friend Reed:
I don't know where to find the booklet of repros you mention--
I knew A.M somewhat back in the late Seventies-mid-80s as he was a
fixture in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA. He was often to be found at
Mug
and Muffin or later when Au Bon pain opened, seated out front with the
ubiquitous cup of coffee (still from Mug and Muffin, in protest; Au Bon
pain, a hangout for yuppies was known to the oldtimers and Punk Rockers,
Skinheads and Rappers as "o bon pain in the ass")--AM would hold forth to
anyone--usually often peppering the person to whom he was speaking with a
myriad of questions re their life style and views on just about anyting.
At various times he also took photos. I was told by some friends that I
should talk to him at more length as had known him for ages--as he did
some mysterious form of art. Something to do with the mail and so on. At
the time I was ignorant of mail art, so mostly talked to him about what I
did as he asked a lot of questions. I made "Leisure Books" which were
"xollage"--xeroxed collage books of four pages. I lived for a while in an
abandoned house--at first with two others--then a horde of runaways,
squatters, etc. A lot of my art project ideas at the time--and I didn't
consider myself an artist at all--involved obsessive collecting of objects
from the streets. I also followed religiously all the trash night routes
to collect things from dumpsters or that were laid out on street. In the
Cambridge area this often producd amazing finds.
I ended up taking over two rooms of the huge abandoned house and
making them into sort of galleries--with spray paintings and mylar on the
walls, collages, chunks of cars and motorcycles,a library of magazines and
books from the trash, various objects chsen for shape or size or color,
and so on. I continually
added to this--the rooms were often used for parties--with people adding
grafitti to the walls and scarring the floors with various instruments.
Surprisingly, people no matter how out of it liked the rooms so much they
never disarranged anything that had been made in there.
Before the police shut the place down, a huge sort of grassroots
announcement got out that people should come for "an exhibtion" before the
police showed up.
AM was there--he was very excited about the whole thing. After
that he used to treat me in a completely different manner.
A number of my friends were close with him and knew more about him
and his work than I ver did. My own life was too chaotic to focus enough
to really learn
what he was up to, though on a number of occaisions he would give me what
I no
know of as mail art calls--and tell me to send something to the places
named. I did to a few, when I could sustain any such effort.
I am not sure what happened to him. The last conversation I had
with him was in 1987--I remember making for him a ninety minute cassette
of my favorite Punk bands of the 1960's and also another tape of strange
things collected over the years.
I did hear at one point that he vanished from the Square and
people were wondering what had happened to him. I also remember that at
varius times he would disappear and then we would learn he had been in
NYC.
I do have a postcard he sent me from there and various bits and pieces of
things he gave me over the years. Also a few odd magzines from Greece that
a friend of his made, with something of his in them. He gave me these in
exchange for some originals pieces of mine, spray paint and collage
pieces.
He was much revered in the area among young people, none of whom,
like me, really had any but a vague idea of what he was up to.
He was respected because he hung out, listened, was receptive and
did something mysterious. It gave him an aura I think he enjoyed
cultivating.
It was only many years later that via posts such as yours Reed
that it hit me what he was up to!
onwo/ards!
dave baptiste
On Mon, 17 Jul 2000, Reed Altemus wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I seem to remember that the Emily Harvey Gallery did a show of the work
> of Albert Fine. I remember buying an envelope of postcard reproductions
> of his work, but I have since then lost track of it. I'd like to get
> another copy if it's still in print.
>
> Can anyone point me in the right direction to find out more about A.M.
> Fine?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> RA
>
>
