This is a really cool article by Mark Morganstein of CNN.com about Erika Iris Simmons and how Bruno Mars got the idea for his video “Just The Way You Are.” Fascinating stuff and really creative.
Erika Iris Simmons calls herself a “pop” artist.
But she could also be called a “classical” artist or a “spoken word” artist. It all depends on whether she’s creating Madonna out of cassette tape, Beethoven out of sheet music, or Shakespeare out of some of his sonnets.
In just three years, Simmons’ unique recycled portraits have earned admirers around the world. Now, the 27-year-old Atlanta, Georgia — based artist is enjoying a much higher profile. The music video for Bruno Mars’ chart-topping single, “Just the Way You Are,” inspired by her cassette tape portraits, has been viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube. Continue reading