Jean-Michel Basquiat

(Pic #1) My encounter with a section of the Berlin Wall at the NEWSEUM in Washington.

Bring tissues, and know that you are living and breathing world history.

The next time you’re in our nation’s capitol, find time to explore the halls and galleries of what has now become one of Washington’s most popular attractions: “The Newseum.” What drew me there was The Unabomber’s cabin—what kept me there was—well, everything else.

The Newseum is an interactive museum dedicated to news, history, and journalism. Its theaters and galleries fill seven floors with Pulitzer Prize winning photos, sobering news video, and slices of unforgettable American culture and news events. As a former TV news reporter, I expected to be unmoved. I was wrong.

(Pic #2) Twisted Tower

(Pic #3) “Checkpoint Charlie”

Artifacts like the fried, twisted, antenna from the fallen World Trade Center remind us of our fragility, (Pic #2) and what we have experienced collectively – often painfully — as a nation. The exhibits also underscore what our parents and grandparents witnessed – and tried to describe to our generation — before television coverage became the way we learned about everything.

The largest section of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany stands 12-feet tall here. (Pic #1) If you didn’t have an opportunity to see it “fall” in 1989, you can get up close and personal here at home. It features eight massive concrete sections, each weighing about three tons. A 3-story East German guard tower that loomed near Checkpoint Charlie — Berlin’s best-known East-West crossing — stands nearby. (Pic #3).

(Pic #4) “Step by Step” section

Over the years, artists like Keith Haring and Thierry Noir have described the wall as “the world’s largest canvas that just had to be painted.” Many known and unknown artists contributed to the wall’s storied graphics, and often their work was painted over within days or hours. The Western side was generally colorful, while the Eastern side was white or gray.

(Pic #5) Painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat

I happen to like the abstractions (Pic #6) leftover from decades of layers of cracked, weathered, textured paint, as well as the poignant graffiti art (Pic #4). Some images remind me of the raw, iconic style of Jean-Michel Basquiat. (Pic #5)

(Pic #6) Detail, Berlin Wall

To mark the fifth anniversary of the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history, Katrina, the Newseum chronicles the dramatic coverage of the killer storm that shredded Mississippi’s coast, left 80 percent of New Orleans under water, and resulted in the deaths of 1,800 people.

(Pic #7) Anger and absurdity in New Orleans

Among other physical reminders, an in-your-face anti-looter sign from a New Orleans rug shop that was used as a backdrop for numerous network news reporters. (Pic #7)

(Pic #8) Unabomber’s Montana retreat

Check out the newsreels from the Lindbergh kidnapping, the death of mob boss John Gotti, and the one-room barren cabin that once housed Unabomber Ted Kaczynski in Lincoln, Montana. (Did you know that Unabomber stands for “University and Airline Bomber?”) The FBI recounts the day they discovered the cabin—packed with chemicals and explosives. It’s an empty shell now, but chilling nonetheless. (Pic #8)

Be prepared to re-live some sentimental and horrifying moments, both of which may jolt you into a more satisfying state of gratitude.

Team up.

(Pic #1) Join forces — supercharge ideas. Left: Photo by Josh Kaplan, right: oil pastel sketch by Lonnie Lardner.

Jobs and Wozniak…Ben and Jerry…O’Keeffe and Stieglitz…Einstein and Bohr…Lennon and McCartney…You and….

Next time you’re stuck–hook up with a partner—especially if he or she is an expert in a different discipline. Combining forces can lead to extraordinary results–especially in music, science, business, and art.

According to Vera John-Steiner’s book, Creative Collaboration, “Western belief in individualism romanticizes the perception of the solitary creative process — when the reality is — that scientific and artistic forms emerge from joint thinking, passionate conversations, emotional connections, and shared struggles.”

On the page:

In the image above (Pic #1), I explore the combination of my husband’s “wild art” photography and my acrylic painting on canvas. By digitally jamming a realistic photo of the funky piece of farm equipment (on the left) with the painted abstraction (on the right) we create something new.

(Pic #2) Warhol and Basquiat: quirky combo

The collaborative work of Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat (Pic #2) has been described as “physical conversation” in paint, instead of words. Each artist remains true to his style, and once joined on the same page, they are inexorably linked. It’s been said that Warhol was inspired by Basquiat’s energy and youth and Basquiat had always idolized the eccentric older artist.

In these collaborations, Warhol remains true to his straightforward methods of hand painting enlarged headlines, logos, brand names, and commercial advertisements — all trademarks of his pop paintings in the 1960s. In contrast, Basquiat responds with his raw, iconic graffiti style — on the left side of the painting — creating a fresh dialogue between the two personalities. He even includes his recognizable “crowned figure” on the upper right.

In the lab:

I had a chance to interview a Santa Barbara PHYSICIST who won the Nobel Prize – in CHEMISTRY because he was willing to work with someone outside his field for the sake of radical discovery. Known for his groundbreaking research, Dr. Alan Heeger won the coveted Nobel Prize for “the discovery and development of conductive polymers” (organic plastics that conduct electricity). (Pic #3)

(Pic #3) Scientific alliance: new discoveries

He told me when you work with someone from another field — you have to be humble and willing to exchange ideas — while tossing out any ego that might otherwise get in the way. The partnership also means learning the “new language” from your colleague’s discipline. But, he says, the end result is always worth the intimidating beginning.

In the recording studio:

Perhaps the most tangible example of collaborative firepower emerges from contemporary music — when two disparate talents collide. Case in point: It started out as a sampling of Phil Collins’ hit “Take Me Home” – then, rappers Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (an American hip-hop group from the 90s) invited the old Brit himself to sing the chorus.

Two generations – two styles—one chilling ballad. Critics say it may be “the unlikeliest collaboration since–well–ever” — but it all comes together perfectly. Check out the music video here:

https://youtu.be/XkVYedkhdt4

(Pic #4) Phil Collins “bridging the rap”

By “teaming up” you increase the odds of enriching your process and product. The experience may be uncomfortable at first–because it may be unfamiliar — but it’s a challenge worth taking on, for the sake of a shared vision. The partnership also offers a chance to be playful as well as critical. “In collaborative work,” writes Vera John-Steiner, “we learn from each other by teaching what we know.” And that is a win-win combination.

The DC “Newseum”

Creative Collaboration: Lose the Ego!