Become a Microscope (2009)

Sister Corita (1918-1986) was an artist, teacher, philosopher, political activist and possibly one of the most innovative and unusual pop artists of the 1960's. However, what is perhaps even more incredible is the fact that she was a Catholic nun. She was a multi-faceted artist who practiced painting, photography, typography and graphic design, but she became most well known for her colorful serigraphs. In the 1950s, she began teaching art at the Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles and due to her unorthodox teaching methods, quickly gained an impressive roster of supporters. Creative personalities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Charles and Ray Eames, Buckminster Fuller and John Cage all became a part if Corita's network of friends. In the 1960s, Corita began using popular culture as raw material for her work. Her screen-prints often incorporated product brands of American consumerism alongside spiritual texts. Her work also dealt with the horrors of the Vietnam War, and not surprisingly, this subject matter, coupled with her already controversial teaching techniques did not always sit well with the church. Cardinal McIntyre, the head of the local Los Angeles archdiocese accused her of being, "A guerilla with a paintbrush." In 1968, partly as the result of this immense pressure, Corita chose to leave the church. She lived the rest of her life as an artist in private practice on the East Coast. Passion For The Possible will be a documentary film celebrating the life, work, and teachings of this spectacular artist. In honor of what would be Sister Corita's 90th birthday (and in conjunction with an upcoming retrospective at Cal State University Northridge), the film will serve as a living, breathing document of the inspiration she spread to so many people throughout her life. Through the use of interviews with those who knew her as well as others who were influenced by her work, we will tell Corita's story in an abstract way. Using archival images from the Corita archive along with footage shot specifically for this film we will create a colorful visual montage. The film will reveal itself as a living, moving, graphic and musical artwork.