Tim Rollins and K.O.S THE BLACK SPOT “Tim Rollins is a born teacher… He understands what it means to feel underdeveloped and yearning, and he fashions methods to counter those conditions His buoyant attention draws forth latent capacities He propels people to grow, and to learn to trust themselves He nourishes by example He catalyses He prods He cajoles And he continually signposts potential paths for discovery, action, and agency.” Julie Ault, artist Tim Rollins was born on 10 June 1955 and spent his childhood in Pittsfield, a working-class town in rural Maine, where he received a strong religious education In 1975 Rollins arrived in New York eager to enrol at the School of Visual Arts to study with Joseph Kosuth, a leading conceptual artist In 1981 Rollins started as a teacher at the Intermediate School 52 in South Bronx, New York There he developed, together with his students, a collaborative strategy allowing them to study literature and produce works of art as a response to the learning process Sometimes he or one of the students would read aloud while the others would responsively sketch Rollins would record books on tape during the night to help the students with learning disabilities to access literary content It was the student Carlos Rivera who first came up with the idea of drawing on the pages of one of Rollins’ books With these acts of appropriation, reaction, and figurative creation an artistic practice was born, an aesthetic solution that met the collective’s needs Before the opening of the current exhibition, Tim Rollins and K.O.S led a series of Art and Knowledge workshops with young people (aged 13-18) from across the Lothian region These workshops resulted in the production of a new work inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island along with other images that are displayed in the Upper White Gallery Prior to the exhibition opening, Tim Rollins and K.O.S led an ArtWorks Scotland seminar, where Scottish artists and educators explored the work, impact and legacy of the collective, focussing on how the artists' methodology could apply across disciplines and in other settings Work generated in these workshops is on display in the upper White Gallery, with a film of the process featuring in the Round Room, upstairs From September onwards online resources created from this seminar will be made available on the Talbot Rice Gallery website Additional information, including the works of literature that inspired Tim Rollins and K.O.S is available in the Round Room Follow us on www.facebook.com/talbotricegallery Education & Events Programme (Continued on reverse) Opening Talks Artists’ Talk / Tim Rollins and K.O.S / Saturday August 1pm Tim Rollins and members of K.O.S (Kids of Survival) will present the evolution of their art collective from its early days in the high-school of 1980s New York to its current international programme of exhibiting in major contemporary art institutions around the world Curator’s Talk / Peter Ballantine / Sunday August 1pm Peter Ballantine, artist and curator, spent more than 20 years fabricating Donald Judd’s work In this talk he examines Judd’s art and philosophy in relation to Working Papers: Donald Judd Drawings 1963-93 Edinburgh Art Festival Events Festival Detours / Inua Ellams / Friday 10 August 4pm In this one-off performance, poet, performer and designer Inua Ellams responds in his own particular way to the work of Tim Rollins and K.O.S Free to attend, but booking is essential: http://festivaldetoursinuaellams.everbrite.co.uk/ TRG, Bande Part (part of A Guide to being a Tourist in Edinburgh) / Anthony Schrag / Saturday 18 August 2.30pm As part of an EAF commission and inspired by the film Bande Part (Godard 1964) in which friends see all the paintings in the Louvre as fast as possible, artist Anthony Schrag will lead a tour that attempts to see the entire TRG exhibitions in under mins To book visit: http://beingatourist.eventbrite.co.uk/ Artlate South / Thursday 23 August / 7.30pm For Artlate this year we will be booming out a specially curated 45 minute mixtape by Edinburgh based DJ, Colvin Cruickshank aka C-Biscuit in homage to the sounds of 1980s South Bronx where Tim Rollins and K.O.S began their collaboration To book visit: http://artlatesouth2012.eventbrite.co.uk/ The House of Fairy Tales - The Magnificent Edinburgh Escapade Part / August – September 2012 For the Edinburgh Art Festival The House of Fairy Tales (founded by artists Deborah Curtis and Gavin Turk) weaves together a magical adventure, that will take families and children on an interactive tour through the city There will be a special challenge at Talbot Rice Gallery, ask at reception to find out how to get involved Tours Artlink Tours / In the Loop / Tuesday 14 August 2pm Artlink Tours / In the Frame / Tuesday 21 August 2pm Artlink Tours / Luminate Festival Event / Tuesday October 11am In the Loop is an audio assisted tour for visitors with hearing loss, In the Frame is a verbal description tour for visitors with a visual impairment and Luminate is Scotland's creative ageing festival for older people Join us for an introduction to the exhibitions with Zoë Fothergill, Curator, Education & Development, and Rachel Thibbotumunuwe, Assistant Curator (Equality & Diversity) For booking please contact Susan at Artlink 0131 229 3555 option or e-mail susan@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk Regular Talks / Wednesday Walkabout & Saturday Social / 1.15pm and 3pm An informal half-hour tour of the exhibitions presented by members of the gallery’s team Free to attend, no booking required Symposia Donald Judd Symposium / Friday October To coincide with the Talbot Rice Gallery exhibition Edinburgh College of Art are hosting a daylong symposium on the work of Donald Judd, programmed by the exhibition Curator Peter Ballantine Tim Rollins and K.O.S Symposium / Saturday 13 October A Genuine Mystery: Inspiration and shared belief in collaborative art and education contexts The symposium will take the collaborative working practice of Tim Rollins and K.O.S and his statement ‘There has to be a common problem and it has to be a genuine mystery’, about group motivation, as a point of departure exploring ideas about art and pedagogy At our events a portable FM hearing loop is available for visitors who are hard of hearing - please contact the gallery in advance to book the equipment A large print version of this guide is available at the reception desk and if you require this document in an alternative format please contact the gallery All events run by the gallery are free and unless stated otherwise should be booked by: Email: info.talbotrice@ed.ac.uk Tel: 0131 650 2210 or In person: Reception Desk, Talbot Rice Gallery, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL ... particular way to the work of Tim Rollins and K.O.S Free to attend, but booking is essential: http://festivaldetoursinuaellams.everbrite.co.uk/ TRG, Bande Part (part of A Guide to being a Tourist... based DJ, Colvin Cruickshank aka C-Biscuit in homage to the sounds of 1980s South Bronx where Tim Rollins and K.O.S began their collaboration To book visit: http://artlatesouth2012.eventbrite.co.uk/... daylong symposium on the work of Donald Judd, programmed by the exhibition Curator Peter Ballantine Tim Rollins and K.O.S Symposium / Saturday 13 October A Genuine Mystery: Inspiration and shared belief