Video from Renegade Craft Fair Chicago by Felix Jung

What is the Postcard Machine (Possibly from the Future)?

The Postcard Machine (Possibly from the Future) is a free-standing human-powered postcard vending machine. An encounter with the Postcard Machine will make you laugh, intrigue your senses, and inspire you to mail a postcard to someone you adore. Initially made from a giant cardboard box in a far away land (McMurdo Station, Antarctica) The Postcard Machine is currently made from marine canvas, is compact and transportable, and is ready to appear at your crowded events to delight and surprise. …..and inspire postcard writing!

Photo of the first Postcard Machine by my friend Sandwich in Antarctica.

Who is the Postcard Machine (Possibly from the Future)?

Michelle Ott has been performing as the Postcard Machine (Possibly from the Future) since 2006 when she created the first Postcard Machine out of a giant scavenged cardboard box for the McMurdo Annual Craft Fair at McMurdo Station Antarctica. Since then, The Postcard Machine has appeared at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, IDEO (SF and Palo Alto), Beyond Eden Art Fair (LA), Renegade Craft Fair (NYC, LA, Chicago, SF), UC Berkeley Center for New Media, North Beach Art Walk (SF), Treasure Island Music Festival, Maker Faire, Heath Ceramics (with Candy Is Magic), Bizarre Bazaar (SF and Chico).

Michelle wrote postcards as a young person to keep in touch with her grandma when grandma was traveling the U.S. during her retirement years. Still in love with correspondence as a form of art and memoir she created (along with writer Jami Curl) An Illustrated Guide to Interpersonal Communication Via The Written Word. In addition to sending postcards on a monthly basis to her friends, family, and postcard subscribers Ott has an annual mailing project called Resolution Buttons in which she draws new years resolutions and sends big packs of buttons out to people once a year.

Who are you?

You love to receive tangible, wonderful surprises in the mail. You like to send notes to other people via the USPS. You write thank you cards to people. You put postcards on your refrigerator when you get them. You are kind to people. You are delighted to have a stack of blank postcards ready to write and send when the inspiration strikes. You love to support artists and are committed to helping them continue to make new work. You laugh at jokes. You appreciate astute observations of the world. You are my hero!

Why become a Patron of The Postcard Machine (Possibly from the Future)?

Because you want to encourage human-to-human communication. Because you want the USPS to continue to deliver physical mail to other people and to receive that mail yourself. Because you love to see illustrated drawings made into postcards. Because you believe in the written word. Because you are an interesting human being. Because you value art and want to make certain it has a place in your life. Because you would like to improve your writing skills. (Yes! You will become a better writer if you write postcards every month!) Because as a patron you will enable Michelle to make her ideas a reality.

Thank you in advance from Michelle Ott a.k.a. @workofott and @thepostcardmachine