Welcome to another Tuesday with TED. Today we have artist Béatrice Coron, who creates intricate worlds, cities and countries, heavens and hells, with nothing more than scissors and paper.
Coron tells stories informed by life. After briefly studying art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Lyon, and Mandarin Chinese at the Université of Lyon III, Coron experienced life with a series of odd jobs. She has been, among others, a shepherdess, truck driver, factory worker, cleaning lady, and New York City tour guide. She has lived in France (her native country) , Egypt and Mexico for one year each, and China for two years. She moved to New York City in 1985, where she reinvented herself as an artist.
Coron cuts her characteristic silhouette designs in paper and Tyvek. She also creates works in stone, glass, metal, rubber, stained glass, and digital media. Her work has been purchased by major museum collections, such as the Metropolitan Museum, the Walker Art Center and The Getty. Her public art can be seen in subways, airports, and sports facilities.
Striding onstage in an incredible cape cut from Tyvek, she describes her creative process and the way her stories develop from snips and slices. You don’t want to miss this amazing and creative talk. Enjoy!
What did you think of Coron’s cape? I was inspired by the fact that she didn’t become an artist until she was 40! Then she survived eight years of rejection before receiving her first commission for a public art installation. In other words, it’s never too late for any of us!
Coron has developed a language of storytelling by papercutting multi-layered, inter-connected stories. She believes everybody has a story to tell, and more importantly, everyone must create a story to make sense of the world. Do you agree? How do you make sense of the world?
Until next time,
Cynthia Patton
