Biography

Ginny Lloyd, aka Gina Lotta, was born in Cambridge, Maryland, USA, in 1945. She got a Masters degree in Social Work at Syracuse University. She taught computer graphics at Ohlone College in Fremont, California in 1987 and 1988. She left teaching to become a corporate consultant in the training industry for Fortune 500 and high tech clients. She now lives in Jupiter, Florida in the USA.

Ginny became knowledgeable about Fluxus happenings while studying photography and art at Syracuse which led to falling into the Mail Art network in 1977 upon meeting Anna Banana and Bill Gaglione in San Francisco. She collaborated on performances and zines with the Bay Area Dadaists. In 1978 and 1980, she managed mail and “Vile” orders when friends Anna and Bill toured. In the 1970’s she was an active copy artist and in 1979 she organized the Copy Art Exhibition, meeting more mail artists. Between 1980 and 1984 she toured Europe twice, visiting and collaborating with mail artists, while showing and guest lecturing at several European art schools. Her “Blitzkunst” book included many of these artists. She was a collaborator in the Fashion Moda stores at Documenta 7 bringing California mail art to the show. In 1982–83 her Storefront: A Living Art Project held monthly mail art shows, exhibitions and performances by mail art participants. During this time period she also worked at JES Archives helping to expand the collection to include mail artists and in 1984 was a special assistant to publisher Carl Loeffler on the final pre-press preparations of the book “Correspondence Art”. Also in 1984 she was the primary organizer of the successful Inter DADA 84, a one week event taking over the city of San Francisco’s art scene. Artists locally and from around the globe attended and participated. It included a mail art show, performances, several art shows, films, open mike events, dinner, and parade. This was the largest gathering of mail artists held in the USA, gaining lots of media attention.

As an early artistamper she created and collaborated for years with many of the active artistamp creators. Her artistamp work was published into the book “Gina Lotta Post” in 1986. Her other projects include her Space Project, incorporating performances and events around the theme of art in space. She gained support from NASA and National Endowment of the Arts for this project. And she has produced several art billboards and artists books often using mail art imagery and themes.

Literature (selection)

Lloyd, Ginny: “Women and the Copy Machine”, in: Women Artists News, 1982.
Lloyd, Ginny: “Copy Art: Europe and San Francisco”, in: Art Com Magazine – #4.
Lloyd, Ginny: “The Mail Art Community in Europe”, in: Umbrella Magazine – Vol 5, #1.

Links

www.ginnyonline.com
InterDADA84 blog http://www.interdada84.blogspot.dk/
http://www.artistampmuseum.blogspot.dk/
www.ginnylloyd.blogspot.dk
Mail Artists Index: http://mailartists.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/ginny-lloyd/