The Exquisite Corpse brings artists and nonartists to the drawing board

If two heads are better than one, several heads must be better than that.

John Pruitt, a local artist, aims to achieve that creative collaboration by reviving an old parlor game in which groups of people work together to create a piece of art.

The Exquisite Corpse is derived from a 1920s surrealist parlor game known as Cadavre Exquis. According to Pruitt, the original game used folded quadrants of paper and each person took one turn. However, in this version, a group of four or five people sit around a table and take turns adding to a drawing. The participants are constantly drawing on what the other people have drawn.

Pruitt, an assistant professor for the housing and interior design program at Southeast Missouri State University, describes himself as an artist, designer and architect. He's been holding small gatherings at his apartment, and in February, he brought the game to the public arena.

The first gathering of The Exquisite Corpse took place Feb. 3 at Port Cape Girardeau. Pruitt said it was a huge success with an estimated 160 people in attendance over the course of the night.

"It was standing room only," Pruitt said. "There was not a table that was not being used."

The crowd, in groups of four or five created dozens of pieces of art that night, each one a collaboration of ideas.

"The result can be something quite creative," Don Greenwood said.

Greenwood helped organize the game in February. He is a local artist and was an engraver for 46 years until he retired two years ago.

Pruitt has been doing variations of the game for a while, but on a smaller scale. Before the event in February, he had experimented with the game in some of his classes and with friends like Greenwood. The game aims to bring all levels and ages of artists together to create art.

"It is a wonderful lesson in cooperation," Pruitt said. "People get to know each other and respect each other in a way that they don't normally have to."

According to Greenwood, the possibilities for the game are endless.

"We'd like to see applications in schools, applications in the corporate world and businesses, as a method to teach people how to cooperate."

In addition to teaching a lesson in cooperation, the creators of The Exquisite Corpse also hope it will combat people's inhibitions about their artistic skills. Pruitt said the game brings people who don't like drawing to the table.

"It is forgiving because no matter what they put on the page someone else is going to draw on top of it and change it," Pruitt said.

Sonya Allen, a former student of Pruitt's, was at the event in February. She has also played the game at Pruitt's smaller gatherings. She said she was impressed with the turnout from the public.

"I didn't know how people would receive the idea of making art," Allen said.

She said she doesn't consider herself a visual artist but enjoys the game because she didn't have to know how to draw to participate.

"I just drew what I thought looked cool or what I felt," Allen said.

Pruitt said the group is looking to have the gathering quarterly with the next one on the first Friday in May at Port Cape Girardeau. They are also trying to get the game started in St. Louis.

Allen said she expects the turnout of the next event to be even better now that more people are aware of it.

"There is enough talk going around about it," Allen said.

For more information, visit www.theexquisitecorpse.org.

ajones@semissourian.com

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