ATC stands for Artist Trading Cards and I’d never heard of this delightful way of exchanging artworks before reading Linda Halcomb’s blog.
ARTIST TRADING CARDS are miniature works of art created on 2 ½ X 3 ½ inch or 64 X 89 mm card stock. They are originals, small editions and most importantly, self-produced. Anybody can produce them. The idea is that you trade them with other people who produce cards, either at TRADING SESSIONS or wherever you meet another ATC trader in person.
ALSO
Artist Trading Cards–or ATCs–are miniature works of art created on 2. 5″ x 3. 5″ card stock, the size of sports trading cards. All techniques are allowed and anybody can produce them. ATCs are signed, dated, and titled on the back then traded away for ATCs made by others. Money never exchanges hands and all trades are one-for-one.
THE HISTORY OF ATC’s
In 1996-97, a new art culture sprang up which rejected the tradition of critiquing and pricing art. Swiss artist M. Vanci Stirnemann is hailed as the father of the Artist Trading Card (ATC) movement. Stirnemann, inspired by hockey trading cards, created and showcased 1200 similarly-sized cards-his original works of art-in his gallery in Zurich, Switzerland. He told people who wanted one of his cards to come back and bring one of their own in trade. A movement was born.
Here are a few of my favorites from the Swiss ATC website:
To give you and idea of how small they are, here’s a photo of some being held up for viewing:
Fourteen years down the line and if my research is correct the ATC movement is still going strong and there are many, many groups to join up with and publications featuring this form of artwork like the ATC Quarterly.
I’ve even found a South African ATC facebook group with some amazing artwork on it! I’ve requested to join and hope to post soon about my ATC artwork.
Bravo! You will find that these are really fun to make. I go to them when I need a break! Where did you find the link to the Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility. I emailed with their director for a while when I was Outreach Chairman (2007-2009) for the Watercolor Society but they weren’t yet ready to trade. Since I live in Indy maybe we can have some fun and get something started.
Thanks Linda – and thank you for your inspiration! I found them on the Swiss ATC website on the long list of contributors. Once I’ve made some I would love to swop with you – even tho it should be in person, it will be the next best thing.
Hi Diane
I received an Email from Singlee18 which is saying, he missed you.
The WordPress has been blocked in China since 3 weeks ago.
It’s mean, the people in China no longer able to see any WP site,
but also the WP blogger themselves can not see or put new post.
Singlee is going to open his new site and going to contact you.
Oh! That explains it! Thank you Yoshizen! Please give him my best regards and best wishes. Wow! The idea that a government wants to control its people to this extent is scary, but look how the Dalai Lama was prevented from coming to South Africa. The same could happen here too
Look forward to hearing from him soon! Cheers!!