Film
Special Screening: Whitney + discussion
- 7PM
Though the soul-soaring enormity of her talent has often been eclipsed by the tragedy of her tumultuous personal life and untimely death, Whitney Houston remains a bona-fide cultural icon, whose voice defined an era of pop music. Kevin Macdonald’s documentary is a uniquely unflinching, raw, and revelatory portrait of the singer in which rare archival footage and interviews with those closest to her offer insight into her world.
DISCUSSION
On the occasion of what would have been her 56th birthday, Whitney "Nippy" Houston's life and legacy will be discussed by conceptual artist and musician E. Jane and writer Jessica Lynne. Through the lenses of their respective practices, they hope to complicate the language that surrounds Houston's presence within the pop culture canon and facilitate, instead, a Black Feminist, queer reading of the late icon.
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E. Jane is a conceptual artist and musician based in Philadelphia. Inspired by Black liberation and womanist praxis, their work incorporates digital images, video, text, performance, sculpture, installation, and sound design. They have displayed performance, art, and sound works in venues throughout North America and Europe. In 2017, their performance persona MHYSA released her critically-acclaimed debut album fantasii. E. Jane’s work explores safety, futurity, and subjugated bodies in popular media.
Jessica Lynne is a founding editor of ARTS.BLACK, an online journal of art criticism from Black perspectives. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Art in America, The Believer, BOMB Magazine, and elsewhere. She is currently at work on a collection of essays about family, faith, and the American South.