Archives February 2023

Cuando Irving Penn creó su obra maestra de la década de 1950, The Harlequin Dress (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), un lector de Vogue comentó que sus imágenes eran tan intensas que “parecían arder en la página.” Casi 75 años después, todavía se considera una de las fotografías más consagradas de la revista y, sin duda, el logro culminante de Penn. La imagen fue una colaboración entre el fotógrafo y su modelo, quien, como revela el título, se convertiría pronto en su esposa. Sus ojos te siguen al igual que los de la Mona Lisa—con quien Time ya la había comparado—, incitándote a devolver la mirada.

Esta primavera se puede ver una versión excepcional de esta obra cuando el V&A de Londres inaugure la Galería Sainsbury, su espacio más extenso, con una monumental exposición de fotografías. Con más de 300 obras, “Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection” se convierte en el espectáculo fotográfico más grande en la historia del museo, ofreciendo un vistazo a una de las colecciones privadas más distinguidas. Comienza en 1950, el annus mirabilis de Penn, y llega hasta el presente. (“Hemos logrado incorporar un cianotipo de 2023 por Meghann Riepenhoff,” dice Furnish.)

A principios y mediados de los años 1990, Sir Elton realizó varios de esos cambios radicales que a menudo han marcado su trayectoria como coleccionista. Vendió casi todas sus pertenencias—coches, joyas, pinturas, figuras de Dresde, bronces art déco, plata italiana—para enfocarse en la adquisición de fotografías. La obra maestra de Penn fue una de sus primeras compras.

Fans of Jonas Brothers, admirers of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and enthusiasts of Jason Robert Brown, prepare yourselves: In the coming spring, Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren will lead the inaugural Broadway rendition of Brown’s Drama Desk Award-grabbing musical The Last Five Years, directed by 2024 Tony nominee Whitney White (Jaja’s African Hair Braiding).

The announcement comes nearly 25 years after Brown—the talented composer-lyricist known for Parade, 13, The Bridges of Madison County, and Mr. Saturday Night—penned the musical’s first song. “It was the beginning where I embarked without any clue of the destination,” he remembered in a release, “without a producer or allies, purely on my own journey to unearth the tunes and words that would narrate a story bending my heart into impossible forms each day.”

Brown added: “For a quarter-century, The Last Five Years has been my guide on its odyssey, from our premiere in Skokie in 2001 to our Off-Broadway debut a year after, a captivating film adaptation, a history-making revival at Second Stage, and countless renditions across the globe. I’ve always trusted that, when ready, The Last Five Years would find its place on Broadway. Having Nick and Adrienne embody these characters is every composer’s fantasy, and Whitney’s remarkable leadership is what any playwright hopes for. It’s taken 25 years, but the moment has arrived.”

Aside from the Jonas Brothers’ brief stint at the Marquis Theatre last year, The Last Five Years signals Nick Jonas’s return to Broadway since 2012, where he took over the role of J. Pierrepont Finch from Daniel Radcliffe and Darren Criss in a revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Meanwhile, Warren last graced the stage in her Tony-awarded performance in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical between 2019 and 2021.

According to the show’s summary, The Last Five Years “narrates the romance and eventual separation of two New Yorkers, up-and-coming novelist Jamie and aspiring thespian Cathy, as they traverse their five-year relationship,” probing “whether a couple, initially bonded by dreams, can maintain their connection as their lives take divergent courses.” Brown, who also penned the script, loosely drew inspiration from his initial marriage.

“The Last Five Years is a quintessential American original musical in our repertoire,” White shared in a declaration. “We all know how challenging it is to let go of something; a romance, a career, a place, a bond that no longer serves us. But to me, the heartache central to the show dances alongside love and opportunity. Audiences will be astounded, once more, by Jason Robert Brown’s ingenious composition, orchestration, and musical vision, as they see reflections of themselves in Jamie and Cathy—two youths navigating life.”

Over the last four decades, British artist Lubaina Himid has embraced significant inquiries. How can the African diaspora be more prominently recognized globally? What are the lasting impacts of colonialism and slavery? What actions can be pursued regarding hunger, imprisonment, warfare?

Despite dealing with such weighty themes, Himid’s creations frequently incorporate wit, her rustic figuration rendered in vivid, intense tones. Her artwork and installations have a knack for drawing the viewer in. “You’re invited into the dialogue,” shares Himid, 70.

A prominent figure in the British Black Arts Movement of the 1980s and ’90s, Himid has showcased her work broadly and received numerous esteemed honors, such as the Turner Prize in 2017 and a CBE recognition in 2018. Recently, she was honored with the Suzanne Deal Booth/FLAG Art Foundation Prize, leading to “Lubaina Himid: Make Do and Mend,” currently exhibited at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York. (The exhibition was co-presented by The Contemporary Austin, where it premiered earlier this year.)

“Make Do and Mend” features two fresh series of work: a collection of what she refers to as her Strategy Paintings, and a sculptural array of 64 vibrant, anthropomorphized planks titled Aunties. These pieces are displayed along the walls of FLAG, framed by the city’s sparkling architecture and striking natural light.