Norman Korpi
Encyclopedia
Norman Korpi is an American
painter
, fashion designer, film maker and reality television
star. He is best known for being one of the original cast members/roommates on the first season
of the MTV
reality show The Real World
.
and began painting at an early age. By his early teens he was painting murals on buildings in the city. He studied painting and photography at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and in 1985 he became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. By the time of his graduation one of his sculptures was a permanent part of the collection at the Grand Traverse Center for the Performing Arts.
Korpi studied photography at New York City
's Cooper Union
, and in 1988 he received full fellowship at Yale
's Norfolk program. In 1992 Korpi co-developed a clothing and furnishings design firm called Gouda; their jacket outerwear line, called State to State, became popular enough to be sold at outlets like Sharper Image and Bloomingdales, and were worn in public by people including Barbara Bush
and rapper Yo-Yo
.
, who would later go on to host a talk show.
. In 1997 Korpi formed a production company called Fruit Films. Their first project was an independent film called The Wedding Video
; it was a mockumentary about Korpi having a gay wedding, and the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded. It featured many alumni of The Real World
. The film was released in 2001.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, fashion designer, film maker and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
star. He is best known for being one of the original cast members/roommates on the first season
The Real World: New York
The Real World is the first season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal...
of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality show The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
.
Early life and career
Korpi grew up in Williamston, MichiganWilliamston, Michigan
Williamston is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is at the southeast corner of Williamstown Township, but is politically independent. A portion of Williamston was annexed from adjacent Wheatfield Township. Downtown Williamston is located at the intersection of Grand...
and began painting at an early age. By his early teens he was painting murals on buildings in the city. He studied painting and photography at the Interlochen Arts Academy, and in 1985 he became a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. By the time of his graduation one of his sculptures was a permanent part of the collection at the Grand Traverse Center for the Performing Arts.
Korpi studied photography at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
, and in 1988 he received full fellowship at Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
's Norfolk program. In 1992 Korpi co-developed a clothing and furnishings design firm called Gouda; their jacket outerwear line, called State to State, became popular enough to be sold at outlets like Sharper Image and Bloomingdales, and were worn in public by people including Barbara Bush
Barbara Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
and rapper Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo (rapper)
Yo-Yo is a Grammy-nominated American hardcore rapper and actress. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop music. She is the protege of gangsta rapper Ice Cube...
.
The Real World
In May 1992 Korpi was chosen as one of the cast members on MTV's The Real World. The show was filmed in New York City, where Korpi was placed in a loft with six strangers (and his dog Gouda, the namesake of his design firm). His housemates included a female rapper, a fitness model, an alternative music singer and an aspiring dancer from Alabama. Korpi was one of the first openly gay people to appear on television as himself, though the show portrayed him as being bisexual. One of the men Korpi dated was Charles PerezCharles Perez
Charles Perez Rinehard is a former American television news reporter, anchor and former talk show host.-Career:Before entering the news business, Perez was best known as host of the nationally syndicated The Charles Perez Show...
, who would later go on to host a talk show.
After The Real World
Korpi has participated in a variety of Real World-related projects. He has branched off into commercial design. He began work in advertising and ultimately created Gay Entertainment Television. He has freelanced in production design for numerous television programs, including the Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
. In 1997 Korpi formed a production company called Fruit Films. Their first project was an independent film called The Wedding Video
The Wedding Video
The Wedding Video is a mockumentary film in the genre of gay and lesbian comedy, starring, directed, and written by Norman Korpi. Filmed in 1998 and completed in 2001 it was not released until 2003 by TLA Video....
; it was a mockumentary about Korpi having a gay wedding, and the behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded. It featured many alumni of The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
. The film was released in 2001.
External links
- Official Web Site
- Norman Korpi on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...