Stamp Acts
A while back I wrote a story about Michael Thompson and Michael Hernandez de Luna, two Chicago pranksters who liked to mail letters using their own bizarre fake stamps—an activity that eventually prompted a postal investigation. Last month I noted that Hernandez de Luna had organized a traveling exhibit of stamps created by himself and several other artists. Since these stamps weren't being used to mail anything, you might assume that the government wouldn't mind them this time.
The investigation began after authorities received a call from a Chicago resident.
"We need to ensure, as best we can, that this is nothing more than artwork with a political statement," Mazur said.
Two federal agents arrived at the exhibit's opening night Thursday, took photos of some of the works and asked for the artists' contact information, said CarolAnn Brown, the gallery's director.
Brown said the agents were most interested in Chicago artist Al Brandtner's work titled "Patriot Act," which depicted a sheet of mock 37-cent red, white and blue stamps showing a revolver pointed at Bush's head.