A screen printing, pop art nun?
I have my friend Reid Stewart to thank for the introduction.
Sister Corita Kent was a nun, as well as an artist, activist, and teacher. 100% self-taught, she learned screen printing in the early 1950’s and by the 60’s she was the chair of the Art Department at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles. (In the pic below, she is fourth from the left.)
Her work was suffused with bright, bold colours, carrying messages of her faith and solidarity with the civil rights and environmental movements of her day.
Due to the audience that Sister Corita Kent gained, the tiny college became an art world hotspot, hosting lectures by some of the biggest artists and designers of the time, like Alfred Hitchcock, Charles and Ray Eames, and Saul Bass.
And then she quit being a nun. Which is so great. This wasn’t a departure from her faith, but rather from the vocation of nunnery stuff…if that’s a thing. I often think of Sister Corita Kent when I’m working with people who are asking: do I resign or redesign my work?
Because if you can quit being a nun, you can probably quit anything.
Sister Corita Kent, eventually went, like Beyoncé, by her first name only. Corita had a set of rules that she shared with her students. They became known as the Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules (commonly referred to as the “Ten Rules”). The rules were visually arranged by the calligrapher David Mekelburg (image below).
One of them read:
“There is no win and no fail. There is only make.”
Another:
“Find a place you can trust, and then try trusting it for awhile.”
In the following decades, the Ten Rules went on to reach a wide audience, being hung in classrooms, offices, studios, and homes. I think they’re pretty rad (and have them printed in my workspace).
A quick introduction, or perhaps a reminder of, Corita Kent, and the importance of making rules and breaking rules.
Quote
Question
Today’s question is from Corita herself:
Corita Kent, questions and answers, 1966.
Poem
There’s so much provocation and poetry in Corita’s work. Here’s the transcription to a print, to understand, 1965:
to under
stand
is to stand
under
which
is to look up to
which is a
good way to
understand
Thanks for reading,
Lance Odegard
unstucking.co
PS—if you’re interested in seeing and learning more about Corita Kent’s work, visit the Corita Art Center. And, here are two books on my bookshelf that I recommend:
Hi there! 👋 My name’s Lance - I’m a writer, coach, and learning designer from Vancouver BC, Canada. In this publication, you’ll find a growing archive of resources for those looking for creativity fuel to keep moving and making. Thanks for stopping by.
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