Kanye West is once more in the headlines, this time, however, his famous rant and Reality-Television Star, wife of Kim Kardashian, aren’t the subject of conversation. Recently, West seems to have made the transition from page six, and managed to find a far more appropriate home in the “Culture and Arts” section amongst other contemporary artists. West has received plenty of media attention in the fashion industry this year, revolving around his capsule collection for Adidas which debuted last spring. Currently, Kanye is raising eyebrows in both the art and film industries for his flagship exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which centers around a brief film starring none apart from “Louis Vuitton Don” himself.
Yeezy Season 1” for Adidas
West is no stranger to the film industry, as he previously served as Executive Director-Writer-Producer for the independent film, Cruel Summer, which debuted at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. Much like West’s avant garde clothing line, the music videos are unorthodox, and unconventional lyrics, Cruel Summer showcases the rapper’s signature affinity for the abnormal. The film is shot from seven different angles, each of which is shown concurrently on seven corresponding screens, all placed within a pyramid-shaped theatre, also Western-designed — naturally.
West’s Cruel Summer Screening at the Cannes Film Festival
It’s no surprise then that West is collaborating with probably the most influential names in the film industry, Steve McQueen to direct his latest film, featuring snippets of “I Feel Like That” and “All Day”, two songs from West’s much-anticipated album, Swish.
Previously titled “So Help Me God”, Kanye’s upcoming album, Swish, has already garnered much attention from his dedicated fans all over the world. Following the success of his last album, Yeezus, a 21-time Grammy Award-Winning Artist, enlisted the help of McQueen, a renowned director and visual artist, known, most notably, for his Oscar Award-winning direction of 12 Years A Slave. , to create the first visual representation for the upcoming album ‘Ye. While, the iconoclast couple has been known to walk the same ultra-exclusive celebrity circles for years, it was a piece centered around Kanye, written by McQueen for Interview Magazine, (circa 2014), that actually acted as the catalyst. for the promising future of collaborative and inventive endeavors between the two; the film was the first realization of this dynamic partnership. Although the film made a small debut at Paris Fashion Week last March, the two artists’ cinematic creation was publicly adored by the public for the first time last week, as a short-lived engagement at LACMA.
Kanye’s Feature for Interview Magazine
Those who visited the pop-up installation over its four days of screenings witnessed the nine-minute film, in which Kanye strolls the London suburbs of McQueen’s hometown, as West’s own music fills the air. It is this curiosity that makes the viewer follow West through this journey in real time; curated through a series of unforeseen angles through the camera’s perspective. McQueen frames West in handheld shots for the whole piece, capturing the film’s content intimately in one take.
Portrait of Kanye by Nick Knight for The New York Times
The result of this four-day heist did not just end up with a music video similar to many others of an identical nature. When considered further, it serves as a masterful representation of Kanye’s ability to forget his role in today’s celebrity-obsessed society as just another rapper, and highlights his identity as an individual whose art has managed to transcend large audiences, through multiple mediums.
Kanye has stated several times that his unwavering desire for creative control over his myriad projects is what has allowed him to shape how the mainstream media perceives “Kanye West” as a multi-faceted artist. Unlike others who feel constrained by the stereotypes that come with association with rap culture, West continues to be inspired and unhindered by his roots in Hip-Hip and Rap music. He has used his unprecedented success in the music industry to create unparalleled intrigue around everything containing his signature Midas touch, and consequently left the press to speculate about what he might do next.
