For seven sessions last spring, the Cross-Museum Collective teens worked alongside artist Rashaad Newsome to create a work of collaborative art. After visiting his studio, learning about his practice as an artist and the themes that inform his own work, the teens began exploring how the issues raised in Newsome’s art affect their own lives as well. We scoured through fashion and lifestyle magazines, looking for images that represented power, hierarchies, royalty, and swag. We discussed the different ways that these themes came up in the teens’ daily lives, and the ways in which our varying cultural experiences can alter how we respond and react to the media’s portrayal of these “aspirational” objects. Once our images were combined and collaged, the teens began studying Photoshop and After Effects, filming videos to be added to the final animation, and learning the specific skills and software that Newsome uses when creating his own work. The final animation stands as a testament to the incredible creativity of our Cross-Museum Collective teens, as well as the invaluable guidance and artistry of Rashaad Newsome.

The artwork is now on display in the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building as part of the summer 2012 In the Making Teen Art Show, on view to the public until September 17. In addition, a limited edition DVD was created, available in a numbered edition of 250. For more information on MoMA Teens programming, please visit our website or Facebook page.