Name: How I became 100 artists
Uploaded: 2011-06-14T14:29:00Z
Duration: 16 min 31 s
Description: How do you stage an international art show with work from 100 different artists? If you're Shea Hembrey, you invent all of the artists and artwork yourself -- from large-scale outdoor installations to tiny paintings drawn with a single-haired brush. Watch this funny, mind-bending talk to see the explosion of creativity and diversity of skills a single artist is capable of.

How do you stage an international art show with work from 100 different artists? If you're Shea Hembrey, you invent all of the artists and artwork yourself -- from large-scale outdoor installations to tiny paintings drawn with a single-haired brush. Watch this funny, mind-bending talk to see the explosion of creativity and diversity of skills a single artist is capable of.

How I became 100 artists

Determined to create a more accessible and expertly crafted art biennial, one artist invented 100 fictional artists, each with distinct backgrounds, passions, and styles. From digging massive mirrored installations in rural Arkansas to painting with a single hair, the project spanned an astonishing variety of media and ideas. The artist set personal criteria: every piece must be explainable to a grandmother in five minutes and embody head, heart, and hands. This radical experiment challenges how originality, craftsmanship, and audience connection coexist in contemporary art.