Exquisite Corpse | Hugo Crosthwaite | The Art Assignment

TL;DR

In this art assignment, artist Hugo Crosthwaite encourages artists to create a collaborative narrative artwork by playing the Exquisite Corpse game.

Transcript

We're in Rosarito, Mexico today, not far from Tijuana, at the studio of Hugo Crosthwaite. Hugo is a master draftsman who makes large scale drawings the blend figure and abstraction, building narratives through an additive detail by detail process. He combines mythical and historical sources with imagery drawn from observation, often reflecting on t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥰 Hugo Crosthwaite challenges the traditional concept of muralism by creating temporary murals and emphasizing the impermanence of art.
• 🥰 The Exquisite Corpse game serves as a metaphor for the collaborative and improvisational nature of art-making.
• 🧑‍🎨 Crosthwaite's art assignment encourages artists to bring their narratives and collaborate, creating a sense of community and unity.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Hugo Crosthwaite challenge the traditional concept of muralism?

Crosthwaite creates temporary murals that reflect the profane and sacred elements of Tijuana. He emphasizes the impermanence of art by destroying the mural after completing it, painting white squares over it.

Q: What is the Exquisite Corpse game and how does it relate to Crosthwaite's art assignment?

The Exquisite Corpse game is a collaborative drawing game where each participant adds to a drawing without seeing what the others have done. Crosthwaite's art assignment asks artists to play this game, resulting in a collective narrative artwork.

Q: Why does Crosthwaite emphasize collaboration and community in his art assignment?

Crosthwaite believes that by collaborating and adding to each other's stories, artists create a sense of community and bring together diverse narratives. He encourages artists to respect and consider the previous artist's work while adding their own.

Q: What is the significance of the Exquisite Corpse game in the context of art-making?

The game captures both the collaboration and inherent improvisation in art-making. Artists work with limited knowledge of what others are doing, yet come together to create a unified artwork. It reflects the balance between individual artistic expression and collaborative efforts.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Hugo Crosthwaite is a master draftsman who creates large-scale drawings blending figure and abstraction, exploring narratives inspired by mythical and historical sources, as well as the cultural tension of the border city of Tijuana.

• The artist challenges the notion of immortality in art by creating temporary murals that reflect the profane and sacred elements of Tijuana, then destroying them by painting white squares over them.

• Crosthwaite's art assignment asks participants to play the Exquisite Corpse game, where each artist adds to a drawing and leaves clues for the next person, resulting in a collective narrative artwork.