Harper's Bazaar December/January 2023

THERE’S A POPULAR CONCEPTION fueled by centuries of literary and cultural criticism and Western mythmaking that real art, the kind that transforms disciplines and shapes canons, requires an inordinate amount of suffering. It’s the idea that a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and paint must be spilled in order for human creativity to yield anything that approaches authenticity, as if the truest things in life must come at a high cost. It might be why art is often regarded as elite and expensive—something that can happen only in hushed galleries and harried auction houses. And something that only a select group of people can afford or be afforded. Art can seem like all those things. But the process of creating it is very often the opposite: a refuge, a catharsis,…

One of the most important parts of making a magazine is deciding who is going to be on the cover. We have several meetings every month as a team to discuss who we’d like to see in that spot. It’s always a confluence of factors—some strategic, like who has a great project out at the time, and some instinctual. Who do we believe in and want to get behind? Rarely do we all agree. But for our art issue, it was unanimous: It had to be Patti Smith. We are a diverse team, and we come from different spaces and cultures, but she resonated with all of us. Her ability to connect is part of her genius, Chloé Cooper Jones posits in her poignant profile of Smith. “There’s an electric…

FEATURED TRACKS 1 “FLY AWAY (BUTTERFLY REPRISE)” Mariah Carey 2 “CLOUDS” Hiroshi Yoshimura 3 “I’M NOT DANCING” Tirzah 4 “HAPPY ENDING” Kelela 5 “MASCARA” Jazmine Sullivan 6. “NATHANIEL W. JAMES & DAVE QUAM_WAITIN_122 BPM” Kelela 7. “NO TIME” Playboi Carti feat. Gunna 8. “MUSICAL MASSAGE” Leon Ware 9. “PEACE PIECE” Bill Evans 10. “BEAUTIFUL” Tweet 11. “BUTTERFLY” Herbie Hancock 12. “SOMETIMES” Bilal 13. “HOLD MY HAND” Van Hunt 14. “PARTY” Nelly Furtado 15. “UH HUH” Bktherula 16. “LAST CALL” Brazilian Girls 17. “PEP TALK” Bahamadia 18. “SOFT SPOT” Piri & Tommy 19. “LOVE YOU GOOD” Rochelle Jordan “With my new ALBUM, I’m centering MYSELF,” says KELELA. “If I START there, I’m serving my core audience of QUEER BLACK PEOPLE, which is really who I THINK ABOUT when I’m making MUSIC.”…

1 RIDE THE WAVE WITH LÅPSLEY Out January 20, British singer, songwriter, and producer Holly Låpsley Fletcher’s third album, Cautionary Tales of Youth, chronicles the ups and downs of her early 20s in a succession of introspective tracks that draw on Afrobeats, R&B, and Latin and electronic music. 2 SEE SARAH POLLEY’S WOMEN TALKING Starring Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, Rooney Mara, and Claire Foy, director Polley’s new drama centers on a group of women in an insular religious community who begin to question their faith after a series of sexual assaults. 3 SPEND A DAY AT THE ART FAIR Now in its 20th year, Art Basel Miami Beach is bigger than ever; 283 premier galleries are presenting, with 26 participating for the first time. Highlights include vibrant new works by…

PIETER HUGO PHOTOGRAPHER: “Patti Smith Keeps Working,” page 125 “While making the images for this issue’s cover, Patti Smith started reciting ‘People Have the Power.’ The strength of her voice and the conviction of the words made her poem feel like a gentle decree. I got goose bumps. Some of the crew started crying.” JOHN EDMONDS PHOTOGRAPHER: “The Chicago School,” page 146 “Mine was a sonic experience in 2018, at a Yaeji concert at the Knockdown Center in Brooklyn. It’s beautiful when art brings people together, and house music does this in such a unique way.” CHLOÉ COOPER JONES WRITER: “Patti Smith Keeps Working,” page 125 “Patti Smith recorded ‘Privilege (Set Me Free)’ while in pain as she recovered from a 15-foot fall off a stage. I was born with…

WHY DON’T YOU…? Double down on the shimmer with gleaming gold LINK EARRINGS.…