Sister Mary Corita Kent (American, 1918-1986), Assumption / Gloria (Two Works)

silkscreens in color, 1960, both pencil signed at lower right and titled at lower left, each framed.
Assumption frame dimensions 31 1/2 x 23 1/4 in.; Gloria frame dimensions 31 3/4 x 23 1/2 in.
Corita Kent, also known as Sister Mary Corita, was a Roman Catholic nun, artist, educator, and advocate for peace and acceptance in the mid- to late-20th century. Corita joined the order of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1936 when she was just 18. She taught studio art and later became head of the Art Department at Immaculate Heart College.

Corita lived and practiced at the time Pop Art was gaining momentum in Britain and then the United States. She found inspiration in American pop artists like Andy Warhol, and was known for silkscreen printing with incorporated bold text about love, tolerance, and peace. Later in life, Corita left the sisterhood and moved to Massachusetts, and upon learning of a cancer diagnosis she became even more very prolific with her artmaking. Over the course of her life, she created over 800 editions of silkscreen prints.

While mid-century viewers didn't know how to place Corita within the Pop Art canon because she was a woman and a nun, she has gained considerable attention in recent years and is now recognized as a pop artist, with her work increasing in value. The Corita Art Center in Los Angeles was established to support and promote her work.
Private Collection, Portland, Oregon
Additional high-resolution photos are available at www.lelandlittle.com

Both with overall toning and slight waviness to paper, Gloria with damp staining at lower and right edge; not examined out of frames.