Post is going out of fashion like no one's business, but it's about to get a revival from an unlikely source. Mr Bingo is an east London artist with a penchant for being personally offensive on the backs of postcards. In his own words:
"Last year I sent a postcard to a stranger called Jonathan Hopkins. It said on it "F*ck you Jonathan, f*ck you and f*ck your sh*t legs". People seemed to be into it so I opened a service on my website, inviting strangers to pay me in return for an offensive postcard addressed to them (or whoever they ordered it for)."
From this one mischievous missive has evolved an entire book and art exhibition, Hate Mail.
Last Thursday, I was at KK Outlet, Hoxton for the opening. Copies of 220 of Mr Bingo's postcards (all sent to real-life recipients) are on show. All are slathered in insults ranging from the cheeky (Dancing isn't your 'thing') to the downright eye-watering (Dear Liam, you're a f***ing loser mate). Almost all dissings are accompanied by unflattering illustrations that bring to mind inflight safety instructions gone scary.
I've recently come under fire for being a hipster, and I have to admit Hate Mail did feel more than a little like a scene from Nathan Barley; KK Outlet full to the gunwales with Hoxtonites sniggering at churlish affronts whilst slurping on bottles of ironically-titled beer. Having thought about it though, I've decided Mr Bingo is indeed hilarious (I was party to the sniggering and slurping), and this is definitely an exhibition worth dipping into. It's free as well.
Anyway, Mr Bingo's illustrations are rather beautifully carried off - he's done stuff for The Mighty Boosh, Dorling Kindersley and The New Yorker after all - not to mention that they're produced on the back of garish vintage postcards, adding to their overall sense of eerieness.
Hate Mail runs until June 29. Mr Bingo himself has set up shop for the duration, and will be happy to write something horrible about you in a copy of his book.
Taken from Will's blog on Fiz.com