Corita Kent, e eye love, from the circus alphabet, 1968 serigraph, image courtesy of Corita Art Center, Los Angeles, corita.org
In 1968, Corita Kent created her second alphabet series, featuring one unique print for each letter of the alphabet. Each print in Corita’s “circus alphabet” series prominently features images from mid-19th century American circus posters and early 19th century advertisements. In these works, Corita coupled this imagery with contemporary quotes and phrases. The “circus alphabet” series was inspired by a line from poet E.E. Cummings,”Damn everything but the circus” and his poetry also appears throughout the series.
e eye love is the print for the letter E. It exemplifies Corita’s use of vibrant colors and appropriated imagery. By the end of the 1960s, Corita’s work experienced a formal shift from incorporating explicitly religious imagery and biblical verses to including direct and indirect references to the political turmoil of the decade.
For e eye love, Corita selected a quote from 20th century philosopher and author Albert Camus. Justice is an overarching theme of Corita’s work and this quote reminds viewers of the political and social change that occurred throughout the 1960s.
-Nathan Howard ‘25