Corita Kent (1918-1986) is known for having been a prolific American artist, close to pop art. Your postage stamp titled Lovecomposed of six color lines, which he created in 1985, remains one of the best sellers in United States history, with 602 million copies. She was still a demanding and open art teacher, in the heart of hippie California in the 60s. She was also a Catholic nun. Ordained in the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Angeles, she chose to be named Sister Corita or “Sister Little Heart.”
Until December 21, 2024, the Collège des Bernardins in Paris organizes the first French exhibition dedicated to this artist, under the title: “Corita Kent. The joyful revolution. In the Cistercian nave of the building, more than thirty original works in fluorescent primary colors are displayed. They combine advertisements for sliced bread or laundry detergent with Bible verses, or even magazine covers with verses from Beatles songs, or even to excerpts from speeches by US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963).
“Her immediate environment, made up of supermarkets and gas stations, became for her a joyful laboratory and a source of spiritual inspiration”explains Pierre Korzilius, director of artistic and cultural programming at the Collège des Bernardins. Corita Kent, for her part, stated (all quotes from Corita Kent in this article are taken from the exhibition): “Playing is praying and praying is playing. »
“Have fun”
With her domed forehead, her smiling eyes and her pointed nose, Corita Kent defined herself as a “printing artist.” Screen printing, this printing technique that uses stencils between ink and paper support, was his favorite medium. He appreciated the democratic aspect of this process that allowed him to produce original works in his workshop at affordable prices. “I started putting words on my screen prints and the words got bigger and bigger.he explained. I think my words are addressed to sensitive people who are afraid of art. »
A dedicated teacher, she established ten rules for her students in the art department at the College of the Immaculate Heart in Hollywood to follow in their classes. The most emblematic of his pedagogy are: “Rule 6: There is no such thing as error. There is no victory or defeat. There is only action or even “Rule 8: Don’t try to create and analyze simultaneously. “They are different processes.”, and of course “Rule 9: Be happy whenever you can. Enjoy. “It’s lighter than you think.”
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