The first Canadian exhibition of Sister Mary Corita’s work, To create is to relate presents silkscreens that mix advertising slogans and poetry in brilliantly coloured compositions. The prints continue to appear daring and engaging 50 years later.
Described as a “joyful revolutionary” and a “guerilla with a paint brush,” Sister Mary Corita (1918-1986) became internationally known for her graphic designs during the 1960s and 1970s. A Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Corita ran the Art Department at Immaculate Heart College until 1968 when she left the Order and moved to Boston. She continued to produce lively images until her death from cancer in 1986.
In an approach that was radical for the Catholic Church at the time, Corita believed that direct action can cause real change. Working with small groups of nuns and students, Corita designed and printed hundreds of different images on posters, book covers and murals. Combining sacred and activist ideas, the images and text reflect her devout spirituality, her ardent commitment to social justice, and her unrelenting hope for world peace.
The Corita Art Center in Hollywood, California is open to the public several days a week with serigraph sales by appointment. The Center houses the largest collection of Corita’s artwork in the world, generously lent for exhibitions across the country and abroad, and facilitates a secondary market for Corita collectors. The Center also maintains an archive of articles and ephemera available for researchers, art historians, curators, playwrights and scholars.
www.contemporaryartgallery.ca
