More and more, we live in a world that’s characterized by personal curation: you can program your own radio stations, stream your own television shows, and cherry-pick your blogroll. But one major exception? The Google doodle. The whimsical, topical drawings found daily on the search engine’s home page are basically the only piece of content that can claim a monthly audience of over 20 billion — basically, two-thirds of anyone who’s on the Internet.
Today’s Google Doodle celebrates what would have been artist and nun Sister Mary Corita Kent’s 96th birthday. Kent rose to fame in the 1960s for creating art that powerfully meshed her anti-war and feminist politics with a pro-faith emphasis on spirituality, acceptance and pacifism. Her bright, cheerful serigraphs, silkscreens, posters, and murals drew inspiration from everyday sources — like supermarkets and laundromats — and from pop culture. While her work was often jarring in its political frankness, her overarching commitment to social progress was uplifting and positive.
Some of Kent’s most famous artworks have become part of our physical landscape and lives. Her 150-foot “Rainbow Swash” graphic adorns a gas tank outside of Boston, and has the distinction of being the largest copyrighted artwork in the world. And, believe it or not, you’ve probably licked another one of her pieces: Kent designed the United States Post Office’s famous “Love Stamp,” of which over 700 million were sold! And, if you needed one more reason to love Corita Kent, she was friends with Charles and Ray Eames — which automatically makes her a friend of ours.
Shop Kent’s original artwork — like 1964’s The Rights of All Men, pictured above — on 1stdibs from dealers Thomas French Fine Art and Solo Modern. And kudos to Google for highlighting the work of a deserving artist — we’re definitely feeling lucky.
