RISD: Spending a Day With a Favorite Artist

So this is the prompt given:

Pick your favorite artist or designer. Write about a day that you would spend with her/him, what questions would you ask and/or what would you hope to learn from her/him?

The word limit is 650 and I'm currently at 652, which isn't that big of a deal, but maybe I could make it more concise in certain areas.

My response:

The perfect day I call it. A pure utopia that would exceed any fantasy I've ever dreamt of. The first time I encountered him while browsing in the National Portrait Gallery 2 years ago put me in a state of awe. I stared for a good 10 minutes, analyzing every detail from the smooth brush strokes to the stylized background. It impressed me to see such a dynamic piece that wasn't as traditional as what I was used to. Ironically, the joy overpowered my thoughts and I failed to find out who the actual artist was. It took me a few days to find that exact painting and finally the artist responsible for such an incredible piece was revealed: Kehinde Wiley.

The perfect day, I call it, starts with a trip to California, South Central Los Angeles to be exact. I want to know more about the place where his first art interactions occurred and how relevant his surroundings were to his pieces. Even though the violence was exorbitant, it could have played a role in why he first wanted to do art. Why is his art based around African-Americans? Are some of his paintings indicative of an underlying issue that he dealt with when he was living in South Central? Most people who have overcame a troubled childhood would usually want to leave that in the past but maybe resurfacing those issues through artwork could mend some of those problems within.

The perfect day, I call it, would continue with a visit across the world to Florence, Italy: the epitome of traditional art. The first stop would be that of the Uffizi. The ambiance of the museum speaks for itself. After hours of walking and discussing various masterworks, the ultimate moment awaits: the work of Michelangelo. From his sculpture of David to his many beautiful Renaissance paintings, Michelangelo defines the Mannerism movement, which emphasizes old, Italian style.

The perfect day, I call it, only gets better. Kehinde Wiley and his World Series dives deep into the cultural idiosyncrasy of many countries including Israel and Africa, however, Italy is not one of them. What criteria, if any, are these World Series based on and how is a country chosen? Since African American culture is prominent in many of his works, would that be a determinant or just one of many factors? It makes me want more. It makes me want to indulge into his mind to find out what's actually going on. I digress. Back to America we go. We arrive in NYC to face the beast of all American Museums, the Metropolitan. Though I've never been, I've heard of the many gigantic rooms and corridors within and of course the numerous paintings throughout. I know that Kehinde Wiley's artist inspiration for several of his paintings happens to be Jacques Louis David; we share a mutual artist! I've always been curious as to why he admires him so much. The way he translates the idea from David's paintings to his own is fascinating and it has always been something I struggle to do. Wiley's techniques conceptually and formally are what make his paintings so strong, something that I hope to become more comfortable with in the long run.

The perfect day, I call it, ends with an observation. Wiley in his "natural habitat" completes the excellency of the entire encounter. I learn by simply watching. I look at what he does for preliminary sketches, what paint he uses, how he applies the paint, how long it takes to fully render something and ultimately those observations will better my understanding of Kehinde as an artist. I hope to learn how to be as open to subject matter and cultural backgrounds. I hope to learn to focus on concepts and how I can include enticing narratives and most of all I hope to learn how to stay authentic. The perfect day, I call it, closes.

-Avoid redundant sentences.This is a statement that you repeat at the beginning of every paragraph. Delete it and go direct to the point instead.restructure your first sentence throughout the essay in a way that it introduces the next event without being redundant. We already know you are talking about the perfect day. There is no need to keep reminding us.


- Don't pose a statement that you are not supposed to know about. Pose is as a questions instead. "Did the extreme violence in the community where he grew up influence his art?" would be a better way of putting it.


- You don't want more. You want to "know more" :-)

- You only have 24 hours. Be realistic, there is no way you can make it to Italy and back in less than a day. Stick to the U.S. areas where you can go and enjoy art.


- ... I've never beenthere.


- artistic inspirations for



- ... share a love for a mutual artist!


- ... so much. Now I have to chance to find out why.

Your concluding statement is quite moving and is a perfect end to your day with the artist. Aside from the revisions and comments above, this is a very good essay and worthy of submission. I believe that this will truly catch the attention of the admissions officer :-)

Thanks so much!