Lots of people probably wish Kanye would just shut the hell up. Sure, the genius musician, multimedia artist, and fashion designer is an undeniable talent, but his mouth has more often than not landed him in hot water.
So this time, West did just that, releasing a silent film documenting the production of his Yeezy Season 2 collection.
The film opens with the legend “This Documentation is Silent” and throughout, it really is. Unlike most fashion films, which more likely mimic “Blank Space” than “4:33”, it isn’t so much about the mood of the collection than it is about West’s process of production. We see clothes being designed, modeled on computers, sewn, placed onto models, photographed, manufactured, and — finally —debuted at the iconic Yeezy Season 2 launch. (If you forgot, phalanxes of silent models stood still while West debuted a song during the collection. It was also broadcast in theaters.)
Nothing much seems remarkable about the documentation at first. But when you start to think about what’s being shown (industrial space, office space) and what isn’t (mostly, West himself) the art of the thing becomes apparent. Much like how Yeezus provided a deconstructed counterpoint to the glossy My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, so too does this film stand against the gorgeous Runaway. (If you haven’t watched that, you should — it’s remarkable).
The other thing that the silent film forces you to do is focus. How often do you really sit and look at something for around fifteen minutes? Without sound, you have to really engage with the piece as a visual media. It’s not revolutionary, but it does make you close your tabs rather than half-listening while you refresh Twitter.
Check it out here.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT