Culch.ie

An Post C Both Sides Postcard Exhibition

Spent a wonderful hour in Dublin City Council today to see a selection of postcards submitted for the An Post ‘C Both Sides’ project. The great Irish public was asked to submit a postcard to:

“…celebrate postcard design and the skill of handwriting. Anyone can take part in the project to make a personal statement, depicting a favourite memory, a special place, someone important or even a secret. There is no set theme, just the criteria to communicate for the price of a stamp and use a postcard as the medium.”

Submissions were received from all over the country from January through to December 2008. 250 of those entries are now on display in Dublin City Council offices until Thursday 9^th April, with further dates around the country until August.

There were no restrictions placed by An Post as to what people could submit on the postcards but each month had a theme to help the creative process. The lack of restriction is reflected in the wonderful and eclectic nature of the exhibition. There are photographs, poems, drawings, buttons, embroidery and even a slice of toast. The postcards are displayed in sorting office pigeonholes, which are no pretty much redundant since machines do the task of sorting mail. Just a trio of the stories told on these  “rectangular pieces of thick paper or thin cardboard intended to be written on and mailed without an envelope”.

The postcard above has the following on the back:

“For as long as I live, the period of five years I spent in Wheatfield prison will always take centre stage.”

What do you think the wording on the postcard above might have said?

The postcard above caught my eye. A montage of photographs set in wood shaving, moss and a butterfly. The back of the card brought a lump to my throat.

Although you can view the entries on the C Both Sides website, it really is worthwhile to spend an hour or two to take in the exhibition in Dublin or when it visits Kerry, Mayo, Galway and Westmeath.