Mail Art South Florida
The mail art movement has always felt like a quiet rebellion to me, a way of slipping art back into everyday life without permission or hierarchy. It values exchange over ownership and conversation over spectacle, and that spirit continues to guide my practice. Through this ongoing involvement I use portraiture and symbolism to explore the people culture and history that make South Florida such a layered and unexpected place to live, letting each piece travel as a shared experience rather than a static object.
For this work I chose Walt Disney, a figure whose imagination reshaped popular culture on a global scale. He represents the strange overlap of fantasy industry and belief, where a simple idea could grow into something that defines childhood memories and corporate power at the same time. Living in Florida makes his presence impossible to ignore, and painting him felt like confronting a local myth that is both personal and collective.
In the painting I pushed contrast and texture to give his face a weathered almost printed quality, as if the image itself has been handled and passed along. The red ground creates a sense of intensity and legacy while the rough surface breaks down the polish usually associated with his image. I wanted the portrait to feel familiar but unsettled, like a piece of cultural mail that has traveled through many hands before reaching its destination.
Did you enjoy these artworks? See the full album and more at our different sites and shops. Just click the link in our bio for more. Make sure to follow us for all our latest posts. Don't forget to share our page! ❤️
Private Collection
IG: @elvissantanaart