Joni Mitchell has a new project, and it’s not an album. The legendary singer-songwriter is releasing NEWS, a book of 23 political paintings, on November 3rd. The collection takes on the 24-hour news cycle, power, politics, and global turbulence, with slogans and song lyrics woven directly into the works. In her words,“NEWS is my protest song, a song not for the ears, but for the eyes.”Signed limited editions will be available through her website and her publisher’s website.
The timing here is worth noting. On October 13th, Mitchell announced that she became a U.S. citizen, a journey she says began 62 years ago. She’s also been a painter for decades, releasing Morning Glory on the Vine back in 2019, and she recently said she retired from music, quote,“in order to pursue my first love, painting.”She’s cited Picasso’s Guernica, Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, and Mel Brooks’The Producers as the kind of political art she’s building on.
If you want to see the paintings in person, the Louver gallery in Venice, California will exhibit them on October 29th and 30th. Twenty-three pieces, one very stacked resume, and an artist who’s clearly not done saying what she means. Are you planning to check out NEWS when it drops?
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Local Lawton
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