A year of tragedy and turmoil, 2016 exposed the faux progress touted by modern America and made its spokesman President. 2016 had us question what was real and what was meme. Internet culture disciples have deemed it the "worst year ever". While I find this title ill-informed and hyperbolic, I'll admit, 2016 wasn't one of our best years. Despite the disastrous events of 2016 and our news cycle's careless, inescapable coverage of it all, we managed to find comfort in culture. When politics failed us, art helped us heal. Here are some of my personal favorites:
1. Anomalisa (Film)
Director Charlie Kaufman (screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) did not disappoint with this incredibly human claymation masterpiece. Slightly disturbing, Anomalisa comments on depression, the fragility of love and the loneliness of the human condition. The most honest performance I watched all year, ironically enough, came from a puppet having a midlife crisis. I can confidently say I've never seen anything like it.
Director Charlie Kaufman (screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) did not disappoint with this incredibly human claymation masterpiece. Slightly disturbing, Anomalisa comments on depression, the fragility of love and the loneliness of the human condition. The most honest performance I watched all year, ironically enough, came from a puppet having a midlife crisis. I can confidently say I've never seen anything like it.
2. Freetown Sound by Blood Orange (Album)
This album was a textbook game changer. Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) talks about black culture, using different voices to shed light on the underrepresented and avoid a single story narrative. He samples African-American author Ta-Nehisi Coates speaking about how even the smallest conflicts, like deciding what to wear, is a racial concern. He also samples poet Ashlee Haze speaking about black femininity. An ethereal tone carries the listener through the album and leaves them with a pure sense of beauty despite the madness and strife Hynes discloses.
This album was a textbook game changer. Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) talks about black culture, using different voices to shed light on the underrepresented and avoid a single story narrative. He samples African-American author Ta-Nehisi Coates speaking about how even the smallest conflicts, like deciding what to wear, is a racial concern. He also samples poet Ashlee Haze speaking about black femininity. An ethereal tone carries the listener through the album and leaves them with a pure sense of beauty despite the madness and strife Hynes discloses.
3. On Radical Softness by Lora Mathis (Poetry, blog posts, etc.)
Poet/Artist/Magical Being Lora Mathis came to my attention this year at the most perfect time, at a time in which my autonomy and the independence of people everywhere was in question. Mathis' work focuses on the unique feminine experience and explores it from the inside-out. The Radical Softness series consists of words and photographs with the shared notion of "radical softness as a weapon". Mathis encourages readers to embrace vulnerability and use self-care as an act of resistance. Mathis quotes Audre Lorde: "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
Poet/Artist/Magical Being Lora Mathis came to my attention this year at the most perfect time, at a time in which my autonomy and the independence of people everywhere was in question. Mathis' work focuses on the unique feminine experience and explores it from the inside-out. The Radical Softness series consists of words and photographs with the shared notion of "radical softness as a weapon". Mathis encourages readers to embrace vulnerability and use self-care as an act of resistance. Mathis quotes Audre Lorde: "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."
4. Hood By Air PornHub Collab (Fashion)
For their 2017 Spring/Summer collection, Hood By Air gave New York Fashion Week a shock paired with a harsh taste of reality. Hood By Air founder Shayne Oliver spoke to the "trend...not wanting to collaborate with clothing companies, but to collaborate with businesses that had liberal ideas and spirits" and took it to the extreme with PornHub's apparent rejection of conservativism and widespread popularity/recognition: Models were coated in Vaseline for the show titled "Handkerchief", and sported the Pornhub logo; the word "Wench" was boldly featured on the brand-typical streetwear. This collection served as a refreshing interruption of the monotonous fashion world and an arched eyebrow at the sell-out sponsorship trend undermining respected fashion brands.
For their 2017 Spring/Summer collection, Hood By Air gave New York Fashion Week a shock paired with a harsh taste of reality. Hood By Air founder Shayne Oliver spoke to the "trend...not wanting to collaborate with clothing companies, but to collaborate with businesses that had liberal ideas and spirits" and took it to the extreme with PornHub's apparent rejection of conservativism and widespread popularity/recognition: Models were coated in Vaseline for the show titled "Handkerchief", and sported the Pornhub logo; the word "Wench" was boldly featured on the brand-typical streetwear. This collection served as a refreshing interruption of the monotonous fashion world and an arched eyebrow at the sell-out sponsorship trend undermining respected fashion brands.
5. Zootopia (Film)
Okay, hear me out: ZOOTOPIA ENDED PREJUDICE. That's obviously not true, but this children's movie highlighted the stereotyping and discrimination that runs rampant in our modern society. For both children and adults, it taught an important, enlightening lesson about prejudice. Zootopia presented a "good cop, bad cop" dichotomy in the form of a zealous little bunny rabbit and a mischeivous fox, and flipped it to disprove their preconceived labels ("Dumb Bunny" and "Sly Fox"). It was a well-done, charming flick that touched on an unavoidable socio-political issue.
Okay, hear me out: ZOOTOPIA ENDED PREJUDICE. That's obviously not true, but this children's movie highlighted the stereotyping and discrimination that runs rampant in our modern society. For both children and adults, it taught an important, enlightening lesson about prejudice. Zootopia presented a "good cop, bad cop" dichotomy in the form of a zealous little bunny rabbit and a mischeivous fox, and flipped it to disprove their preconceived labels ("Dumb Bunny" and "Sly Fox"). It was a well-done, charming flick that touched on an unavoidable socio-political issue.
6. Guerrilla Girls (Art/Activism)
2016 was an eventful year for the feminist artist-activists. This year Guerrilla Girls had a shared exhibit with Andy Warhol at Tate Modern that compared their visual languages, themes and societal aims. "Guerrilla Girls: Is it Even Worse in Europe?" appeared in London's Whitechapel Gallery which critically explored diversity among European art organizations. Their work was also displayed this year at Museum Ludwig, Walker Art Center and Baltimore Museum of Art. In addition to broadening exposure, their main focus this year was on promoting equality within the art sphere. As a feminist, a female artist (sort of) and a supporter of an inclusive art world, Guerrilla Girls' work inspires and motivates me to take an active role in promoting equality both within and outside of the arts sphere.
2016 was an eventful year for the feminist artist-activists. This year Guerrilla Girls had a shared exhibit with Andy Warhol at Tate Modern that compared their visual languages, themes and societal aims. "Guerrilla Girls: Is it Even Worse in Europe?" appeared in London's Whitechapel Gallery which critically explored diversity among European art organizations. Their work was also displayed this year at Museum Ludwig, Walker Art Center and Baltimore Museum of Art. In addition to broadening exposure, their main focus this year was on promoting equality within the art sphere. As a feminist, a female artist (sort of) and a supporter of an inclusive art world, Guerrilla Girls' work inspires and motivates me to take an active role in promoting equality both within and outside of the arts sphere.
7. The United States of Anxiety (Podcast)
This podcast functioned as a series of timely responses to our election-related worries. While it couldn't fix our country's unfortunate fate, USA offered some comfort and relief from the ubiquitous news cycle by providing listeners with no-BS, unbiased information within relevant context. The show emulates poltical progressiveness by examining and giving voice to the left, right and everything in between. I anxiously (ha ha) awaited this show every week for some much needed clarity during the election, and after the disappointing turnout, USA was there to console me with a post-election night episode.
This podcast functioned as a series of timely responses to our election-related worries. While it couldn't fix our country's unfortunate fate, USA offered some comfort and relief from the ubiquitous news cycle by providing listeners with no-BS, unbiased information within relevant context. The show emulates poltical progressiveness by examining and giving voice to the left, right and everything in between. I anxiously (ha ha) awaited this show every week for some much needed clarity during the election, and after the disappointing turnout, USA was there to console me with a post-election night episode.
8. Pierre Paulin (Exhibit)
The Pierre Paulin exhibit at Centre Pompidou is a must-include on this list. I traveled to Paris this past summer shortly after the Nice Bastille Day attack. As anxiety will have it, I was on edge from the moment I arrived in France until I set butt on Pierre Paulin's ergonomically enchanting Ribbon Chair. The Ribbon Chair inspired a playfulness in those lucky enough to sit in its whimsical embrace. The Ribbon Chair along with its equally intriguing siblings (Tongue Chair, Orange Slice Chair, Mushroom Chair and more) made the Pierre Paulin exhibit an engaging, immersive art experience, something I hope to see more of in 2017.
The Pierre Paulin exhibit at Centre Pompidou is a must-include on this list. I traveled to Paris this past summer shortly after the Nice Bastille Day attack. As anxiety will have it, I was on edge from the moment I arrived in France until I set butt on Pierre Paulin's ergonomically enchanting Ribbon Chair. The Ribbon Chair inspired a playfulness in those lucky enough to sit in its whimsical embrace. The Ribbon Chair along with its equally intriguing siblings (Tongue Chair, Orange Slice Chair, Mushroom Chair and more) made the Pierre Paulin exhibit an engaging, immersive art experience, something I hope to see more of in 2017.
9. At the Existentialist Café by Sarah Bakewell (Book)
Bakewell communicates a unique and accessible account of Existentialism in her most recent book. She works off of the premise "Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Raymond Aron walk into a bar..." to emphasize Existentialism's timeless pertinence and underscore its attention to free will. Existentialism encourages questioning our choices and the society that attempts to govern those choices. I can think of no better time to hone in on individual free will than our current political climate.
Bakewell communicates a unique and accessible account of Existentialism in her most recent book. She works off of the premise "Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Raymond Aron walk into a bar..." to emphasize Existentialism's timeless pertinence and underscore its attention to free will. Existentialism encourages questioning our choices and the society that attempts to govern those choices. I can think of no better time to hone in on individual free will than our current political climate.
10. Atlanta (TV Show)
See previous post ("Atlanta") in which I geek over Donald Glover's made-for-TV masterpiece. Glover challenges racially-driven television tropes and the stereotypes that carry over. More than just a show about race, "Atlanta" is about humanity and its embedded struggles. The show utilizes its featured city as more of an active character than a setting to connect each character's experience and weave them together to form a cohesive story while conveying varying perspectives. Every frame in "Atlanta" could function as a stand-alone work of art, lending to a surreal feel.
See previous post ("Atlanta") in which I geek over Donald Glover's made-for-TV masterpiece. Glover challenges racially-driven television tropes and the stereotypes that carry over. More than just a show about race, "Atlanta" is about humanity and its embedded struggles. The show utilizes its featured city as more of an active character than a setting to connect each character's experience and weave them together to form a cohesive story while conveying varying perspectives. Every frame in "Atlanta" could function as a stand-alone work of art, lending to a surreal feel.