Satchmo: The Wonderful World
and Art of Louis Armstrong
'Riffing with Scissors' and 'Fort-Worthy' Sofas
By Chris Dunmire
Did you know that the famous trumpet-playing Louis Armstrong was also a paper-cutting collage artist? No kidding! I found this fun creative tidbit in the Reading Room of of Oprah Magazine (April '09) in reference to a new book titled, Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong (Abrams) by Steven Brower and Hilton Als.
"Riffing with Scissors: He had a voice like a cat's tongue, scratchy and warm as the music he made with his trumpet. And, surprisingly, Satchmo — that is, the fabulous Louis Armstrong — had a way with yet another instrument: a pair of scissors. Between sets, he snipped words and images from ads and greeting cards, letters, telegraphs, and photos of friends and fans, then pasted them into jazzy, colorful collages."
Who would have known? Isn't that cool? I mean, to think Mr. Armstrong was snipping, cutting, and pasting collage elements together to create collagy works of art in between his performances is just awesome to me. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this new book by Brower and Als showcasing some of these never-before published art pieces.
Amazon gives this blurb for Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong:
"Satchmo: The Wonderful World and Art of Louis Armstrong is a biography in the form of an art book. It tells the story of Armstrong's life through his writings, scrapbooks, and artworks, many of which have never been published before. Armstrong was the single greatest creative artist in the history of jazz and the American popular song."
In celebration of this most jazzy discovery, I've revamped my Beginner's Collage Techniques series on Creativity Portal, tagged as 'a primer in collage art, assemblage, and mixed media' for anyone who is interested in cutting and tearing their way into the colossal world of collage art.
OW Interviews MO
Noteworthy too: this particular issue of O was the first time Oprah broke tradition by sharing the front cover with someone else (and not just a thinner version of herself). First-Lady Michelle Obama smiles back at us in her sensible orange and yellow outfit and shares further sense and sensibility in her exclusive interview with Oprah within the magazine's pages.
I loved the part during the interview where Oprah and Michelle discuss the new White House furniture. Oprah asks, "How will the decorating style change?" Michelle answers, "It will reflect our family. I want comfortable sofas, I want art that reflects contemporary and traditional, I want to bring in new American artisans."
Then, in a moment of mom-ness, Michelle reveals a presidential family secret of utmost importance:
"O: You want more than just a few plates on the walls. You want pieces that are inclusive of American culture.
"MO: Right. And we want approachable comfort.
"O: So you can take off your shoes.
"MO: And you've got to be able to make a fort with the sofa pillows! Everything must be fort-worthy."
"Everything must be fort-worthy!" Those first-kids are so lucky! I was never allowed to make a fort out of our living room couch. This IS the change we need!
Which reminds me: Be sure to watch for Sasha's first autobiography in a decade or so: On Fortitude and Fort-Worthiness: Fourth Grade in the White House.
I simply adore all the people I just wrote about. •
© 2009 Chris Dunmire www.chrisdunmire.com. All rights reserved. |
