Tim Rollins and K.O.S.

'RIVERS'

The SCAD Museum of Art presents "RIVERS," an exhibition of collaborative paintings by the Bronx, New York-based artists Tim Rollins and K.O.S. (Kids of Survival). Founded by Rollins more than 30 years ago, the K.O.S. group has created paintings inspired by classic works of literature and music that can be found in the permanent collections of more than 95 museums worldwide.

Tim Rollins and K.O.S., “Asleep on the Raft (after Mark Twain),” indigo watercolor, matte acrylic, book pages on canvas, 2013-14. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York and Hong Kong.
Tim Rollins and K.O.S., “Asleep on the Raft (after Mark Twain),” indigo watercolor, matte acrylic, book pages on canvas, 2013-14. Courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery, New York and Hong Kong.

In "RIVERS," the artists have selected paintings inspired by historic and literary narratives of the South including the speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.; Harriet Jacobs’ "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl"; Mark Twain’s "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"; and W.E.B. Du Bois' "Darkwater," among others.

Additionally, a new creation was made with junior high school students at the Esther F. Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts in Savannah, Georgia, based on Duke Ellington’s ballet score for "The River." From the Bronx River to the Savannah River, Rollins and K.O.S. showcase the transcendence of these themes and their impact on the cultural fabric of the United States and beyond.

Students from the Esther F. Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts who contributed to this work include:

  • Crystal Bride
  • Cade Cunningham
  • Devin Francois
  • Winter Jones
  • Savannah Jones
  • Edward Long
  • Kristina Lowry
  • Deshnee Mason
  • Jared Pacheco
  • Amelia Reynolds
  • Davis Smith
  • Emma Traynor

Presented as part of the 2014 deFINE ART program, Feb. 18-21, 2014.

Museum Admission

The exhibition is free for all SCAD students, faculty, staff and museum members and open to the public with the cost of museum admission.

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