![]() I do think, however, that the public persona of the rapper and hustler unfortunately strips the acquisition and appreciation of art to commodity. I also know the difference between the persona of the rapper JAY-Z and Shawn Carter the entrepreneur and, perhaps, aesthete. I know that JAY-Z is an art collector, and his in-ness with art world types has been well-documented (see “Picasso Baby”). The enshrinement of an image, especially something as ubiquitous as the Mona Lisa, can be dangerous, as it strips the work of art of its multivalent interpretations and only uses it as a sign that essentially reads: status. Another uneasy response was immediately thinking of those memes of Puff Daddy standing in front of the Mona Lisa, etc. ![]() Art was being used to signify status with no meaning outside of cultural capital and luxury. It's not the responsibility of the artists featured nor the director to give each painting its proper due, but I did feel like the art was only being used as a backdrop in this case. Now, obviously JAY-Z and Beyoncé looking at art at the museum would be a really boring music video (though I would love to be a fly on the wall to overhear their conversation about the Mona Lisa). Art is not merely a photo-op, and posing in front of art is reducing it to a backdrop. People photograph everything, look but don't see, understanding very little of context. My second thought, and I'm not proud of this, was, ruefully "cool, more museum selfies." One of my pet peeves is, in spite of how many visitors there are in museums, how little time people actually spend looking at the art. I'm less sure about this current project. The relationship between Julie Dash and Arthur Jafa's Daughters of the Dust and Beyoncé's Lemonade was, to my mind, a brilliant way to incorporate art in a music video, elevating the music and, in some ways, highlighting the artistic inspiration. The video itself is gorgeously shot, and does show a continued interest in art on behalf of the artists, JAY-Z and Beyoncé, to engage with art (notable precursors being JAY-Z's "Picasso Baby," and Beyoncé's use of David Hammons and Richard Prince in “7/11”). My first reaction, was being thrilled that art was being featured in a music video at all. ![]() Everything is Love is out on Tidal.First of all, what were your initial reactions to the “APESHIT” video? Another memorable scene shows Beyoncé and a line-up of dancers holding hands and winding in sync in front of giant neoclassical painting The Coronation of Napoleon later on, Jay can be seen doing his piece in front of the Louvre’s iconic glass pyramids.ĭirector of photography on the video was Benoit Debie, choreographer was Sidi Larbi Ckerkaoui. ![]() One of the opening shots shows the couple in front of the Mona Lisa another shows an enrobed Bey in front of the museum’s famous Winged Victory of Samothrace marble sculpture, dancers using its grand staircase as a stepped stage. In the video directed by Ricky Saiz, the duo and a troupe of dancers take over the world’s largest art museum, The Louvre, and show the galleries in a way never seen before – vacant of teeming crowds, and using its renowned works as backdrops to fabulous styling (by Ibrahim Kamara) and expectedly immaculate choreography. ![]() Beyoncé and Jay Z, aka The Carters, released an unexpected joint album Everything is Love on Saturday 16 June, and with it a music video for its first single Apeshit. ![]()
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