Untitled - Warhol and Basquait
All kinds of creative collaborations take place in the art world - set designers and choreographers, film makers and costume designers, architects and sculptures. The collaboration that I find most fascinating are when two painters come together to create one piece.
So why would two painters collaborate? Well for one thing it can spark innovation and growth. By combining their skills, perspectives and creative energies, the artists can push their individual creative voice.
One of the most successful and famous collaborations was Andy Warhol and Michael Basquait. They created over 160 pieces from 1980-86. Usually Warhol would begin first working on the piece and then Basquait would enter adding his street art style over Warhol's work.
The above untitled piece was huge, 10 feet by 13 feet, done in 1984. Southby's eventually sold it for 19.4 million dollars.
Olympic Rings, 1984-85, Warhol and Basquait
Zenith, 1985, Warhol and Basquait
Other painter collaborations exist from the 17th century, like the collaborations between Peter Paul Rubens and Frans Snyders. Rubens would usually sketch the overall scene and paint the human figures while Snyders would paint animals and still life.
Rubens collaborated with a number of other painters. In 1617-1618 he worked with Jan Brueghel the Elder on a series called The Five Senses. Breughel created the detailed settings while Rubens painted the allegorical figures.
Smell, 1617, Rubens and Brueghel
A more modern collaboration were the abstract expressionists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenburg. They had a close personal relationship and both liked to include everyday objects and iconic imagery in their work. They collaborated for about seven years in the 1950s.
Minutia, 1954, Johns and Rauschenburg
Even Picasso collaborated. He worked on a series called Painting with Light with Life Magazine's photographer Gijon Mili. Mili visited Picasso's studio in 1949 and showed him some images he had created of ice skaters with lights attached to their skates, jumping in the dark. Picasso was intrigued.
Picasso Drawing a Centaur with Light, 1949
So what does it take to have a successful collaboration?
1. A clear commitment
2. Mutual respect
3. A willingness to navigate through challenges
4. Being open to new ideas
5. Being flexible in your approach
6. Have a clear vision and theme
7. Establish roles and responsibilities
8, Know each others expectations upfront
and if money is involved a written agreement.
Other interesting collaborations to check out are...
Gilbert and George
Sophie Taeuber Arp and Jean Arp
Hera and Akut
Osgêmos - Identical twin Brazilian brothers
Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp
Would you ever be interested in doing collaborations? If so with who?