CONTENTS

June/July/August 2023

CAConrad at St. Mark’s Church in New York. Photography by Mary Manning.

160

BRONTEZ PURNELL AND STEVE LACY ON CHURCH CHOIRS AND CLUB RECORDS

124

Brontez Purnell DMs his friend, musician Steve Lacy, for a conversation about gatekeeping, witchcraft, and being the loudest one in the room.

130

MARTINE SYMS AND BEN BABBITT ON CELLISTS AND HYPNOTISTS

The artists dissect their fortuitous meeting, the connection between the human body and technology, and the creative potential of hanging out.

136

THE MAN WHO TURNED BLONDIE’S HAIR BLACK

Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein reminisce about their collaboration with the late Swiss artist H.R. Giger.

140

3 RECORDS THAT CHANGED HANIF ABDURRAQIB’S LIFE

Writer and poet Hanif Abdurraqib takes a break from penning his forthcoming book to reflect on the albums that raised him.

146

EVERYONE HAS QUESTIONS FOR CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS

To mark the release of his latest album, the musician answers questions on life and love from his friends and collaborators.

150

INTO THE WILD

With its Autumn/Winter 2023 collection, Dior pens a billet-doux to three women who subverted the dictums of their time: Catherine Dior, Édith Piaf, and Juliette Gréco.

BILLIE MILAM WEISMAN AND LARRY BELL ON ART IN LOS ANGELES

The pair connect for a conversation about the city that defined their careers.

168

THINKING WITH YOUR HANDS

Five cutting-edge design studios reflect on their processes and inspirations—from road trips to local landscapes.

178

OBJECTS OF AFFECTION

The season’s finest high jewelry unfurls across a verdant botanical wonderland.

Minneapolis-based photographer Alec Soth has published over 25 books of his work—including Songbook (2015), I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating (2019), and A Pound of Pictures (2022)—and has had over 50 solo exhibitions at institutions including the Jeu de Paume in Paris and Media Space in London. In 2008, he created Little Brown Mushroom, a multimedia enterprise focused on visual storytelling, and in 2013, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is also a member of Magnum Photos. For this issue, Soth shot poet Danez Smith, a fellow Minneapolis creative, at home. “I’ve been a fan of Danez’s urgent poetry for a long time,” says Soth. “What a pleasure to peek into their world.”

Martine Syms has captured the art world’s imagination with a practice that combines conceptual grit, humor, and social commentary. She has had solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago, and received a Guggenheim Fellowship this year. Syms has written and directed three feature films: The Mundane Afrofuturist Manifesto, Incense Sweaters & Ice, and The African Desperate. Ahead of her first solo Sprüth Magers show, she speaks with fellow artist, frequent collaborator, and friend Ben Babbitt.