Emily Bradshaw's Design Blog: Sister Corita

Unit 5 – Contextual Influences

Sister Corita

Sister Corita, formally known as Sister Mary Corita Kent born 20^th November 1918 and died at the age of 67 due to cancer on the 18^th September 1986, Corita was born with the name Frances Kent in 1916 in Fort Dodge, but as she grew up in Los Angeles, Corita joined the Order of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1936, this is the time she took on the name ‘Sister Mary Corita’. Sister Corita was an artist as well as an educator, where she ran the Art Department at Immaculate Heart College until 1968. Sister Corita was best known for her vibrant and beautiful art work during the 1960s and 1970s, this involved silk-screening and serigraphy; her art work usually involved small messages such as love and peace.

After studying at high school, Corita joined the Roman Catholic order of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which was set up in Los Angeles. Throughout her years she was always fond of art and soon took classes at the Otis College of Art and Design as well as Chouinard Art Institute, here is where she received her BA in 1941. From then on Sister Corita sooner or later earned her MA at the University of Southern California in Art History in 1951. However in between these times of studying once she graduated Immaculate Heart College, she then went on and briefly taught grade school in British Columbia. Not only this but the year she graduated from the University of Southern California, Sister Corita exhibited her very first silkscreen print, which got her started with her well known career

It made a change for Sister Corita moving on from phrases out of the bible to be involved in her work, to using popular culture such as song lyrics which got incorporated into her raw material. Unfortunately not everyone appreciated Corita’s work, in 1965 her “Pewce on Earth” exhibit in the IBM’s New York show room, came across as too disturbing and reblious so Sister Corita had no choice but to take it down. But this one event didn’t stop Corita carrying on with her art career.

After this occurrence, Corita became the chairman of the Immaculate Heart College Art Department. An American architect, author, designer and inventor Buckminster Fuller visited Corita at her department and was pleased how she was turning out; he even described the event as “among the most fundamentally inspiring experience of my life”

Sister Corita created several hundred serigraph designs for posters, book cover and even murals.

To me her work inspires me, the bright colours and extravagant type seem as if they shouldn’t go together, but it goes together perfectly. The vibrant colours makes her message stand out a lot more and encourages people to take her seriously.

My favourite piece that Sister Corita had created was “If I” which was made in 1969, there is something peculiar about this piece that I particular like. I love the way she has reflected different type onto the opposite side as well as sticking to plain and simple colours which makes it stand out even more.