I’m Obsessed With: Corita Kent

I haven’t met all the nuns in history, but I feel confident in saying that Corita Kent was the coolest. Born Frances Elizabeth Kent and also known as Sister Mary Corita Kent, Corita was an American Roman Catholic religious sister, artist, and teacher who was active from 1951 to 1986. Most of her work has a political social justice slant with messages of tolerance and peace, directly addressing the Vietnam War and other humanitarian crises. If you’re thinking the church wouldn’t have loved that, you are correct! She left the order on good terms in 1968.

Although not recognized as such at the time (#patriarchy), she was a big player in the pop art movement, often combining elements of American consumerism with poetry or scripture. Corita’s work is largely silkscreen printing because she wanted her work to be widely available and affordable for the masses. If you love a superlative as much as I do, you’ll be excited to know that she also created the world’s largest copyrighted work of art — a 140 foot tall gas tank in Boston.

Her type is wonky, unprecious, and breaks all the design rules, and that’s what makes it great. And I’m always on board with a color scheme that borderline hurts your eyes.

Here are some of my favorites of hers, all images via The Corita Art Center. I tried and failed to narrow it down. They’re too good.

to all of my calling your name, 1962

for eleanor, 1964

i wanna hold your hand, 1965

one great loaf, 1965

growing up, 1965

The small text begins “We have all this beauty around us and yet we, who are grown-ups, often forget about it and lose ourselves in our offices and imagine that we are doing very important work.” 👀

tiger, 1965

daisy, 1966

apples are basic, 1966

This one makes me lol a little bit with the 2021 definition of “basic.”

questions and answers, 1966

highly prized, 1967

The small text says “I care. I care about it all. It takes too much energy not to care...the why of why we are here is an intrigue for adolescents; the how is what must command the living. which is why i have lately become an insurgent again. Lorraine Hansbury”

with love to the everyday miracle, 1967

g o greatest show of worth, 1968

The small text says “What matters today is not whether people believe or don't believe but whether they care or don't care.”

manflowers, 1969

chavez, 1969

you can never lose me, 1972

community, 1982

love is care, 1984