Daniel Eatock

Rubber Stamp Postcard
color offset lithography on card stock with original, hand-stamped, ink impression on verso
Edition 1000
4” x 6”

The front of each postcard depicts the implement Rubber Stamp that was used to ink the impression of a first-class British postage stamp on the top right corner of its verso.

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Back to front

In the Edwardian era, among those who could afford to do so, it was common practice for people to have postcards made of themselves. A century later, I really enjoy collecting these cards - especially when it's clear the person on the front has also written the message on the back.

I was reminded of such cards recently by this brilliant contemporary postcard by artist Daniel Eatock. Pictured are both sides of his 'Rubber Stamp' postcard. The front is a picture of a rubber ink stamp, which prints 'stamps'. On the back, in the top right-hand corner, is a 'stamp' stamped by the stamp. (Are you with me?) Intrigued, I wrote to Daniel to find out more about the design.

Explaining his thought process he told me that, "The postcard displays a picture of the object and an impression from the object. It becomes an infinite loop as the impression on the reverse depicts a stamp but references a frank mark, the cancellation process for stamps." Consequently, like handwritten photo cards from the Edwardian era, Daniel's card links the front with the back, calling out to be turned over and over, and over again. A great postcard puzzle.

Guy Atkins,
August 2014 edition of Stamp & Coin Mart