Artistamp

Artist amp refers to a postage stamp-like art form. It is similar to a Cinderella stamp, in that it is not valid for postage, but it differs from a forgery or a bogus stamp in that no intention is made to fool any post office or collector of stamps. The artist amp is intended to be a miniature art form which can depict or remember any subject its creator chooses.

Techniques for the creation of artist amps may or may not include perforating the boundaries of the piece to more resemble a stamp, as well as applying gum to the reverse side of the paper. Whole sheets of such stamps are often made at one time. The artwork can be hand-drawn or painted, lithographed or offset-printed, photographed, Xeroxed, rubber stamped, or even output by computer-driven printer.

Creators of art within this genre include Donald Evans, Anna Banana, Steve Smith and the surprisingly prolific New Zealander Bruce Henderson. Henderson's output spans more than three decades and encompasses an entire alternative universe of artist amp countries. These include the Sultanate of Occussi-Ambeno, the Kingdom of all the Sedan, the Sultanate of Upper Yafa, the People's Republic of Kemp land, the Free Vineland Republic, the Republic of Liegerland, the Republic of Port Maria, Tui Tui, Aldabra, Karenni, Raoul, the Land of Muggy, Terra Candella, Cryonica, Aramoana, Whangamomona, Laré, Nova Arcadia, the Antarctic Confederation and the Khanate of Bokhara. Henderson's artist amp world even has its own imaginary "United Nations," the "International Council of Independent States". His creations are sometimes identified as micro nations, however, being completely imaginary and without "participants", they do not fit the definition.