Jeffrey Vallance, Cultural Ties, 1979
In 1979 American artist Jeffery Vallance sent out letters to a whole bunch of world leaders. With the letter he enclosed one of his neck ties. In the letter he asks the leader to send him back one of their own ties as a sign of friendship and a way of forging closer cultural links between the leader’s country and Vallance’s America. It is basically a tie-swap.
The responses are awesome. They range from personal to formal, angry to amused. Some send ties, others send signed photos (the Pope, if you must know). One sends an Okal and Kotra.
I first saw this at the Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art - an exhibition at the Barbican a few years ago. The photos are from the catalogue and artthrob.
Guest Edited by Freddy Mandy
