II. In the beginning, from The Creation Portfolio

These two works are part of The Creation Portfolio, the result of a year-long residency project in the Silver Spring studios from 2003–2004. This collaborative project included Tim Rollins; three of his “Kids of Survival” (Rick Savinon, Robert Branch, Adam Decroix); elementary to high school students and teachers; George Mason University students; Pyramid’s artistic staff (Pepe Coronado, Mary Ashton, Helen Frederick); and curators Andrea Pollan and Milena Kalinovska. The portfolio was a manifestation of Pyramid’s “Discoveries Through Reading as Process, Art as Content” visual literacy program. The theme of the print portfolio was drawn from Franz Josef Haydn’s oratorio, The Creation .

While absorbing this music, the group of fifty-six individuals contemplated the beginning of the universe, moving from the void to the momentous appearance of light and the ensuing emergence of heaven, earth, celestial bodies, land, sea plants and animals. Thus, the seven days of creation make up the portfolio of seven images.

Initially, students researched the science, myths, and many narratives about creation. Then in small groups of two or three participants, almost one hundred small screenprinted monotypes were created. The students juried the images and pared them down to the best seven. These seven images were scanned and enlarged digitally. The images were then printed on thin Harukaze Japanese paper that was collaged (chine colle’ technique) onto Somerset paper that had been screenprinted with Haydyn’s musical score. The score hovers beautifully under the Japanese collaged paper, and a unique printmaking approach was advanced in the final decisions for printing the edition of twenty-five.

The portfolio can be found in collections at the Hirshhorn Museum, the Kreeger Museum, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, and Colgate University to mention a few. A catalog, THE CREATION Tim Rollins + K.O.S. at Pyramid , was published under the auspices of major funders who also funded the project itself. Works in THE CREATION portfolio, along with Rollin’s other initiated projects, were exhibited at the Kreeger Museum in 2005 with a joyous gathering of all the participants, parents and public appreciators.

Printers: Pepe Coronado, Steve Koczara, Matt Michel
Papermaker: Mary Ashton

Learn more about the artist:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Rollins_and_K.O.S.