A huge blowfish gifted by Ray Johnson to his old friend and fellow mail artist, Ed Plunkett. de JOHNSON, Ray

n.p.:n.p., [1970].. The blowfish (yes, an actual blowfish) was delivered to Plunkett by their mutual friend "Marilyn" around 1970. It was enclosed in a white cardboard box with the the following instructions written boldly in Ray Johnson's hand with a red magic marker: "MARILYN--THIS BOX IS FOR ED PLUNKETT" and then across from that "FOR ED PLUNKETT" along with a couple of arrows pointing to the instructions and the words "FRAGILE FRAGILE." In 2000 Ed Plunkett in turn sent this as a gift (using the original box) to mail artist and co-founder of Vile Magazine, Bill Gaglione enclosing an autograph note saying (in part): "So here is something Marilyn was asked by Ray J. to deliver to me circa 1970 (I've added other goodies to the fish)," a reference to the fact that Plunkett had turned the blowfish into a lamp and some electrical parts remained. Plunkett rubber-stamped the back of the letter with "The New York Correspondence School," "Bad Press," and "Decharge Sauvage." The blowfish was given by Gaglione to mail artist and mail art scholar, John Held, Jr. and it was featured in the video profile that KQED did of Held. An enigmatic animal/art object that originated with Ray Johnson and made the rounds of three other of the most important mail artists and even appeared in a film. Very good (box measures ca. 10" x 10" x 10").