'Museums will become full of objects whose uselessness, size and cumbersomeness will make it neccesary to build special towers to house them in the deserts' - Salvador Dali :-})

Please note! This project consists largely of aerial baked filled pastry product.

I, Tim Drage, wish to establish part virtual, part physical museum of surrealist, dada, fluxus and just plain odd objects, and need your help!! The museum will consist of a web site full of photographs, drawings, descriptions, animations and computer models of objects from anyone who will contribute, as well as a physical collection of objects which could eventually be arranged in various exhibitions, installations etc. as oppertunities arise, and from which pieces could be examined/borrowed/used/stolen upon request. Hopefully it will one day grow into the surrealist equivient of the British Museum. But hopefully not before I get a building to put it in.

I am now opening this up as a mail art project, but you don't have to be a mail artist. I would be if I were you, though: it's good!

Please note that I want things which you, or someone else have made/found/whatever, not pictures of famous stuff from books! (although an actual original Man Ray etc. wouldn't go amiss :-) )

Here are some examples of types of objects which I am looking for:
(This list is largely derived from the book "Surrealist Art" by Sarane Alexandrian)

• Found objects (objet trouve') - objects which possess an attraction which makes them stand out from a multitude of other objects. Usually a mysterious manifactured object.
• Natural objects - stones, roots, shells, etc. Stones particularly, especially if longed and sought for, rather than found by chance, apparently.
• Interpreted found/natural objects - found objects altered or added to.
• Readymades - Mass produced objects whose function is altered so that it is 'dragged from its context of automatic reproduction in the most ingenious way possible." Often it is rendered useless.
• Phantom Objects - Objects which have no pysical existance, being only implied, or described/drawn. They can be objects which have been imagined or dreamt of, objects which have been destroyed, or objects who'se absence is implied in some way.
• Dreamt objects- "a humble, familiar object, which by some caprice of desire is given a sumptuous appearance"
• Boxes - constructions or assemblages in boxes.
• Poem-objects - an assemblage which consists of a poem incorparating actual objects.

As well as Surrealist objects, Fluxus, Dada, Chindogu, or indeed any other interesting (and not contradictory to surrealism) objects would be appreciated!

Please email me to send gifs/jpegs/text descriptions of objects, ideas/comments about the project, url's of any similar or dissimilar existing site, or to get more info. Or whatever. If you want to send objects by snail mail, let me know

All works will appear on the Surrealist Objects page and probably various mailart documentations!

You will retain all copyrights of your own work, and I will be nice to you. You can be credited on the site and in the doc, or remain anonymous, as you please.
Warning!!! You may become a mail artist as a result of participating in this project!! Nice people will send you nice things, and you will be happy a lot (except when there's no post!)

Please collaborate, and help make the internet, the mail art network and the world in general a more surreal place!!!