Creating for Creation Sake
In February of this year, The National Museum of Women in the Arts announced a public art project to celebrate the refurbishment of the block in front of the museum (1200 N.W.). The goal of The Sculptor Project” is to make New York Avenue, N.W. from 13th Street to Mount Vernon Square, into a sculptor island. This project is scheduled to end in 2015. The kick-off, which occurred April 28, 2010 included the works of Niki de Saint Phalle.
I’ve been looking for artist to inspire me and wow, did I find one in Niki de Saint Phalle. Originally from France Niki ‘s work has been a wonderful contribution for women and women artist.
Her art is flamboyantly fantastic. Her style is whimsical, voluptuous, and full of fantasy.
Niki’s work is inspiring to me as a woman and as an African American. One of her series is called Black Heroes. She created this for her grandson, who happens to be biracial (her grandson’s father is African American). Niki had many heroes that she looked up to as a child and wanted her grandson to have the same experience. So, as a loving grandmother, she created this art series. One of her most famous pieces from this series is a depiction of Michael Jordan. Other prominent black heroes depicted in this series were Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis. Nanas; another series of Niki’s depict her perception of the everyday woman. Here is a piece called “Black Nana of the Three Graces.” This playfulness and fullness can be seen and felt in most of her pieces.
She was not the average woman. Most women who decide to live a life as an artist cannot be. Niki married young a loved the life she had with her first husband, but she grew restless. Because of her inability to keep still, she decided to leaver her first husband and give him custody of the children. She must create and to not have the freedom to do so caused her insanity. I recognized the need to always have a project to do and to always have something to create. I see it in me.
The call to be an artist is so great. It will make you do things that seem so illogical to the rest of the world – leave your children, leave a stable job, move to a new country…
Niki left this world in 2002, yet she continues to leave marks and energy with her works. She continues to inspire. Please visit this web site to learn more about The National Museum of Women in the Arts and to learn more about Niki de Saint Phalle.