Mail Art South Florida
Square Groupers
5” x 7”
Acrylic on Cardstock (Gel Plate)
1/3/2026
This latest painting is part of my continued involvement in the mail art movement, where I share elements of south florida culture, arts, flora, fauna and local lore with artists from around the world. For this piece I created a five inch by seven inch painting using the gel block method titled Square Groupers. It captures a scene familiar to many South Floridians from the late nineteen eighties and early nineties, a time when the realities of life along the coast were impossible to ignore. The full gallery can be viewed at elvissantana dot com.
Square grouper is a colloquial term used for floating or washed up bales of cocaine and marijuana that historically appeared in south florida waters. While far less common today, they still surface from time to time, a reminder of the region’s role as a major hub in the drug trade. This piece reflects on how the forces that helped shape Miami’s rise also left lasting scars, and how the consequences of those years continue to ripple through the city’s identity and memory.
#mailartmovement #squaregroupers #southfloridahistory #miamiart #elvissantana #elvissantanaart #art #fineart
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Private Collection of:
Vickie Poole
IG: @elvissantanaart