Tim Rollins and K.O.S.

Studied at the University of maine
MFA at NYU
special ed teacher in new York
Based in NYC

His Story
All works of art are like a time machine. It can take the past to the present and translate to the future.

September 11 2001
in studio in Chelsea

• big beautiful painting about a mid summers night dream
• top to floor windows looking towards the twin towers, see the trade centers are on fire
• collaboration of students, adjacent of the destruction
• now we know what side we are on
• opened the windows, the smell from the south. Smelt like burning garbage but unfamiliar. 

sept 11 1981

• just out of school from MAin and now in NYC
• 24 years old
• just help the school, 52 kelly street south bronx
• just keep going on the train, elevated tracks.mile and miles of devistated empty burnt out buildings, the 9/11 smell. Packs of dogs and druggies and in the middle of the mess was a mother with her kids on the way to school.
• chaos of the school.
• they bet he wouldn't show up
• the school was shut down on two floors, everyone was crammed.
• graffiti tags, ceiling is covered with tags and charcoal 
• the kids were diabolical about being creative
• in the hip hop era because of him being a hero for showing up to this school
• death mask face
• make the best drawing you have ever made in your life, now. 
• favorite word in the universe NOW
• music and drawing
• "will you stay" his whole life passed before his eyes
• listen to the voice
• His hero- Martin luther king Jr
• The strgrenth of love -- anger has roots in grieving. 
• its hard to teach art when they cant even spell paint
• everything was learned through art-- history math english
• Art and knowledge workshop with K.O.S.
• they did works based off of work and literature
• everyone is an artist
• he knew he was going to make art but he felt they were going to make history

1993- just got back from Venice, Emmy and a move and the NY Times

• rick form K.O.S. calls- emergency, St. Valentines Day Massacre 
• Prospect Ave.
• The area was starting to clean up
• chris was killed, he just got accepted to school of art and design
• he flew back to deal with the backlash
• it wasn't sad, but he was still there
• this is why we treat art better then we treat ourselves
• it is a necessary for our lives, and its more of a reason to keep going on

contradiction of graffiti because it is a defacement and a glorification