LaToya Ruby Frazier’s repetitive and relentless motion
Wearing a costume of ordinary Levi’s clothes, LaToya Ruby Frazier’s repetitive and relentless motion ultimately destroys the jeans she’s wearing.
The performance critiques the brand’s ad campaign fetishizing post-industrial life in Frazier’s hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania.
“What I feel an urgency to do at this moment is to really return back home and to really do something— not as the artist, LaToya Ruby Frazier, but as the citizen of Braddock, Pennsylvania, LaToya Ruby Frazier.”
Art21 depends on your support
Thanks to viewers like you, Art21 has grown to be the go-to place to discover art and learn first-hand from some of the greatest artists of our time.
This season of giving, stand behind the voices of artists and become an Art21 monthly supporter. As a recurring donor, your support helps the entire organization moving forward and contributes directly to the production of enriching documentaries, thought-provoking interviews, and inspiring stories told by artists themselves.
Please consider donating to Art21 today. Your contribution, in any amount, helps ensure this extraordinary catalog of resources remains accessible and free to all. In gratitude for your support, with a monthly donation of $21, or a one-time donation of $250, you will receive a special Art21 beanie. Get one for yourself or send it to a fellow Art21 fan as a gift!
Lynda Benglis at the family home of Anand Sarabhai in Ahmedabad, India, 2012. Production still from the Extended Play film, “India.” © Art21, Inc. 2021.
Playlist: Going Home
The idea of “home” can be translated in a variety of ways: from a literal representation found in built structures and hometowns, to the feeling of acceptance discovered by a new place and community.
A homecoming provides an opportunity for self-reflection and an undeniable source of personal and creative discovery.
The artists in this playlist address the concept of home through themes of contradiction, coming-of-age, blight, and immigration.
Upcoming workshop for educators
Join Art21 on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. ET for the latest installment in a series of virtual teacher workshops presented in collaboration with SFMOMA.
Exploring different aspects of the question—”What is contemporary art?”—each virtual workshop encourages educators to think and work like artists, using thematic, inquiry-driven processes and strategies.
The January workshop, “Environmental Impacts,” will look at artists that explore the relationships between people and the environment, as well as raise awareness about our role in the climate crisis.
Registration is free, but space is limited.
Visit our education calendar for a list of upcoming workshops for educators.
Four seasons, seventeen films
Across the winter, spring, summer, and fall, Art21 delivered seventeen new films in 2021 spanning themes global and local, individual and shared, fleeting and timeless.
From Nairobi to Beijing to New York City, our latest films gave a glimpse into the creative practices of seventeen artists, featuring:
Tanya Aguiñiga, John Akomfrah, Phyllida Barlow, Firelei Báez, Abigail DeVille, Doreen Garner, Guan Xiao, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Loie Hollowell, Shaun Leonardo, Guadalupe Maravilla, Adam Milner, Wangechi Mutu, Michael Rakowitz, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, Rachel Rossin, Salman Toor.
Stream each film in full, along with nearly 70 hours of films from the entire Art21 library.
