It’s an age-old complex for any creative: how to transform a groundbreaking abstract concept into a tangible piece of art. Renowned artist and designer Es Devlin might just have an answer by unlocking the door to her creative process.
In a newly-launched lesson for educational streaming platform Masterclass, Devlin offers top tips on how to go from concept to concrete art. Devlin’s renowned large-scale sculptural installations and designs across music, theatre and visual arts have seen her create everything from installations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum to set designs for Beyoncé and The Weeknd.
‘We should be part of a world where we aren't defined or diminished by narrow labels but can instead continue to grow and learn throughout our careers,’ Devlin says. ‘In my class, I will help members turn their ideas into something they can hold in their hand and encourage those that might meet a fork in the road and don't know which path to take to take both, and then take both again.’
Over two decades, Devlin has carved a corner as one of the most influential creatives of a generation. In performative sculptures and environments that fuse music, language and light, she collaborated with some of the world's most leading international artists, including Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and U2, and traversed a range of disciplines including drama, dance and opera.
RELATED STORY
Es Devlin, Forest of Us, Superblue Miami.
She was responsible for both the 2012 London Olympic Closing Ceremony and the 2016 Rio Olympic Opening Ceremony. Most recently, she took the role of artistic director of the London Design Biennale and created Forest for Change — a temporary forest in which visitors grew familiar with the UN global sustainability objectives at London's Somerset House.
The artist’s recipe for success involves two key ingredients: curiosity and research. The lesson will see her share her innovative processes for using light, sculpture and technology which tell compelling visual stories and leave audiences stunned. Focusing on case studies, Forest of Us (now on show at the new Superblue Miami) as well as her stage sculptures for The Weeknd and The Lehman Trilogy, Devlin will discuss the key to working effectively with collaborators, a core element of her practice. They will also learn to imagine the spectators as a collective mind, and how to conceive work that feels natural to create, and hard to forget.
INFORMATION
Es Devlin’s MasterClass is now available exclusively to subscribers. masterclass.com
-
A guide to Frank Gehry's architecture: mesmerising, expressive and sometimes controversialCanadian-American Frank Gehry has earned his position in the hall of fame of contemporary architects through a wealth of groundbreaking designs; here, we explore why, how, and his key projects
-
A nature-inspired exhibition takes root at California's Salmon Creek Farm'Jinen' presents new works by Dan John Anderson, Kazunori Hamana, Yu Kobayashi, and Ido Yoshimoto at Fritz Haeg’s cultural commune and creative hub in California’s redwood forest
-
Chanel Comète: the exclusive fragrance creates the scent of stardust on your skinAs Chanel releases Comète, the latest fragrance from Les Exclusifs de Chanel, its creator Olivier Polge speaks with Laura Bailey about his process
-
How to conquer the Atomic City: the story behind U2 at the new Las Vegas SphereU2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere redefines the 21st-century rock concert. We spoke to the band and its team about the genesis of this expansive art and music experience that marks the opening of the high-tech venue
-
Es Devlin’s illuminated choral sculpture in New York celebrates human connectionEs Devlin’s ‘Your Voices’ at Lincoln Center, commissioned by Moët & Chandon, is an ode to the 700 languages spoken in New York City
-
Come Home Again: Es Devlin’s spiritual ode to biodiversity at Tate ModernCommissioned by Cartier, Es Devlin’s monumental public installation Come Home Again is a space for education, contemplation and conservation action. We visit the artist’s London studio to hear more
-
London’s 180 The Strand is saturated in radical new media art‘LUX’, an LG-sponsored new media art exhibition at 180 The Strand, brings together 12 artists and collectives at the cutting edge of audio-visual technology
-
Superblue is the new hub for experimental artArtists Es Devlin, James Turrell, teamLab and DRIFT kick off the inaugural programme at experimental art company Superblue, at its first Miami iteration
-
Es Devlin maps history with a perspective-bending installation at Pitzhanger ManorThe artist’s Memory Palace is a ‘personal’ atlas of pivotal shifts in human thinking
-
Secret 7” returns with vinyl cover art designed by creative heavyweights, and it’s all up for grabs
