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Bryan Collier
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illustrator
"Bryan Collier is an
accomplished artist and illustrator who lives in Harlem in New York City. He
grew up in Southern Maryland and began painting as a teenager. Now with several
books under his belt, his work has won the Caldecott Honor and the Coretta Scott
King Award."
EXCLUSIVE BRYAN COLLIER INTERVIEWS
(Courtesy of Reading Is
Fundamental)
RIF:
At what point did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?
Bryan Collier:
I started doing art at 15. I decided to be an illustrator a couple years after
college. I just started seeing and noticing children’s books. Then I could see
the possibilities about what it means to tell a story. I could see what
storytelling is and how powerful it can be.
RIF:
What's your favorite part of being an artist and an illustrator?
BC:
The best part is the discovery of telling a story visually and that challenge. I
pride myself on telling a story a different way every time. There are no
formulas or rituals. Every book feels like the first one, because of how I
approach it. They all feel scary. I always ask myself, “Am I really up to this
challenge?” Then the more I research and get into the story, I can surrender and
let it happen.
RIF:
Growing up, you were a football and basketball player. How did you choose art?
BC:
I was supposed to play college football, but chose art at the last minute. It
was a scary decision. I had football recruiters coming to talk to me at school.
At the time, I knew in my heart I didn’t really want to do it. I knew I wanted
to be an artist and be in New York. That’s all I had in my sights.
RIF:
What's your favorite book that you've done?
BC: I
have several favorites. With Uptown [Collier’s first book, which he wrote
and illustrated], I was discovering how to tell a story. I was telling about
something I knew about, Harlem. I was discovering and rediscovering it.
Martin’s Big Words is another one. The story of Martin Luther King’s life
has been told so many times. When I got into the research and as I tried to
understand it as a person, it was really magical and inspiring. I went to the
cities where Dr. King was during the Civil Rights movement. I got out of the car
and just stood. I went to the churches that he stood in and preached in. I sort
of walked in his shoes in a way.
RIF:
You spend a lot of time visiting kids in schools. What do you like about that?
BC:
I love going out to visit. I try to do as much as I can. I’m just amazed at the
kids’ reaction to the projects that I’ve done. I’m interested in knowing how the
story impacted them and if they got what I was trying to tell them. They usually
do get it, and even more so. They see things that I didn’t realize.
RIF:
What do you talk about with the kids?
BC: I
talk about what they hope for. I ask if they’re dreaming, and if they are, what
about. I try to dispel that whole thing about power and fame. I think today
everyone wants to be famous for no reason.
I talk to them about purpose. I get incredible responses because they’re right
there questioning the same thing. As you become an adult, things jade you and
change you. But I want them to hold onto that feeling about purpose, because
there’s something much more important than fame and riches. If you do something
and don’t have any purpose, you find yourself lost.
RIF:
What advice do you have for kids who want to be artists and writers?
BC:
Pursue it. Know that sometimes even if you see yourself as an artist, you may
find yourself doing something totally different. You’ll find a connection
between the two things. There’s a common thread that connects it all. At some
point you have to discover your purpose with art. It has to be more than
something saying that you’re good at it.
Note: Bryan Collier is illustrating two
books that are coming out this year:
- What’s
the Hurry, Fox: And Other Animal Stories,
written by Zora Neale Hurston, April 2004
- A book about John Lennon with author Doreen Rappaport, fall 2004
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