Genesis Breyer P-Orridge
“jusqu'a la balle crystal” postcard, 1975
Double-sided postcard. SIGNED. [pornographic] image on front side, type written [pornographic] text on back side, along with stamping, postmarked stamp of the Queen.
4h x 6w in / 10.16h x 15.24w cm
GBPO_004
$ 1,800.00
In 1975 Great Britain’s General Post Office launched a case against Genesis P-Orridge for disseminating pornographic postcards through the mail. These postcards were composed of imagery from hardcore pornographic magazines collaged onto pictures of Queen Elizabeth II. Seizing upon the opportunity to turn the case into yet another performance, P-Orridge disseminated additional [pornographic] mail art through the mail (including invitations to the trial) and in so doing gained the support of the international mail art community. The case was ultimately dismissed.
The stamp “Copyright Breech” refers to P-Orridge's ongoing personal fascination, which began in 1973 with his publication, Copyright Breeches, with the copyright symbol and its implications for art and society.
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950 – 2020) was a singer-songwriter, musician, poet, performance artist, visual artist, and occultist who rose to notoriety as the founder of the artist collective COUM Transmissions. He was also the lead vocalist of the seminal industrial band Throbbing Gristle, a founding member of Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth occult group, and fronted the experimental pop rock band Psychic TV. P-Orridge was credited on over 200 releases during their lifetime. They are cited as an icon within the avant-garde art scene, accruing a cult following, and the title “Godparent of Industrial Music.”
