Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665 (digitized by Madpixel)) by Johannes VermeerMauritshuis
Season One of Art Zoom brought you immersive experiences and insight into some of history's best art through the eyes and words of some of today's most powerful musical voices. Now, in Season Two, more of music's biggest stars share their insights into the art that inspires them.
Musical artists from four continents share their personal experiences with particular works of art. Scroll on to meet the stars of Season Two.
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FKA twigs
A MOBO Award-winning, Mercury Prize and Grammy-nominated, multidisciplinary artist whose music traverses genres and pushes boundaries, London-based FKA twigs has received widespread critical acclaim from the moment she broke onto the scene.
Choreography and curation are a big part of her art, and she also draws inspiration from Baroque painter, Artemisia Gentileschi.
Judith and Holofernes (1620 - 1621) by Artemisia GentileschiUffizi Gallery
“Mary Magdalene was a major inspiration for my last album and when I learned about the history of the female painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, it impacted me," says twigs. “Artists like her have fought so hard to be recognized that it’s amazing I could help shine a light on her beautiful work.”
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Grimes
Canadian artist Grimes is a songwriter, producer, visual artist, and videographer. She makes work that combines the genres of dreampop, R&B, and electronica.
With such an emphasis on the visual, it's little surprise that her musical output takes inspiration from art history. For Art Zoom, Grimes picked out Pieter Bruegel the Elder's Fall of the Rebel Angels.
The Fall of the Rebel Angels (1562) by Pieter Bruegel the ElderRoyal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
“Pieter Bruegel the Elder is a strange dude and I hope I did a decent job analyzing his work. Rest In Peace."
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Chaeyoung from K-Pop group, TWICE
South-Korean singer and rapper Chaeyoung is perhaps best known as a member of TWICE, the chart-topping K-Pop sensation. She also sings and raps on extensive solo projects.
For Art Zoom, Chaeyoung chose to highlight the importance of color and imagination in the work of South Korean abstract painter Yoo Youngkuk.
Mountain (Topography) (1959) by Yoo YoungkukNational Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea
“For me, color is very important and that’s what caught my eye the first time I saw Yoo Youngkuk’s painting. I love nature, trees, and looking at Yoo’s abstract art made me use my imagination which I love.”
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Matty Healy from The 1975
Healy is the lead singer of British pop rock band, The 1975, who have topped the album charts three times in the UK.
The 1975's music has been praised for its eclectic range of influences, incorporating many different musical styles. Matty Healy himself also takes cues from modern art, and singles out Piet Mondrian.
Grande composizione A con nero, rosso, grigio, giallo e blu (1919 - 1920) by Piet MondrianLa Galleria Nazionale
“Although Mondrian’s work is from nearly a hundred years ago, the nowness of his work has always struck me. Lines come from a world of information and communication which is crucial in today’s digital world. The fact that art is an imperfect utopia, forever to be interpreted, was interesting to me when I spoke about his artwork.”
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J.Balvin
The "Prince of Reggaeton", Colombian musician J.Balvin, has already become one of the top-selling Latin artists of all time and has won almost every Latin music award out there. He's collaborated with all the household names in pop, from Beyoncé to Pharrell.
J.Balvin's main influences are Colombian, and for Art Zoom he shares his personal relationship with the work of his compatriot, the painter Fernando Botero.
July 20th (1984) by Fernando Botero Angulo (1932)National Museum of Colombia
“Growing up in Medellin, Fernando Botero was all over the news– he’s an icon in Colombia. When I got the chance to raise awareness of his artwork and to Independence day as a Colombian, it was an honor”.
Art Zoom Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding
A Brit Award winner with multiple number one albums, Ellie Goulding mixes influences from Amy Winehouse to Bjork in her soulful electronic pop. She's also an art lover, and lists some giants of modern and contemporary abstract painting among her favorites.
Mind Breath Drawings (2012) by Mehretu, JulieSerralves Foundation
"Art has been hugely influential throughout my life and music," she says. "Whether it's the escapism I feel through Julie Mehretu's work...
Large Blue Anthropometry [ANT 105] (1999) by Yves KleinGuggenheim Bilbao
...the power I get from Yves Klein...
La caduta di Iperione o Secondo viaggio in Italia (1962) by Cy TwomblyLa Galleria Nazionale
...or chaos from Cy Twombly, art makes me feel alive every time I see it. I was excited to share those feelings with the world through this project."
Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665 (digitized by Madpixel)) by Johannes VermeerMauritshuis
Now head over to the Art Zoom project to watch and listen as the musicians give their full and personal insights into their chosen artworks. Make sure to catch Season 1, too!
