🎤 THE LUTHER PROJECT

MOVING IMAGE; 2022.



🎤The Luther Project is a visual study of the life and work of vocalist Luther Vandross. The project is informed by the writing of Jason King, who argues that Vandross is a unique “star text” whose “polysemic image” offers multiple readings. It builds on earlier creative endeavors investigating how black queer identity is coded and situated.

Taking its cue from film theorist Peter Gidal’s 1971 definition of structural-materialist film, 🎤The Luther Project does not purport to “transparently document” or “represent” any actual events or stories in the life of Vandross. Instead, it foregrounds sensibility and formal structure to deal with dynamics that Vandross’s art and life lay bare.

The project parses Vandross’s aesthetic, namely his rich velvet tones, lush maximalist sensibility, and textural obsessiveness. Psychological and physiological topics to be explored include mourning, masculinity, and body dysmorphia. 🎤The Luther Project also reimagines found materials of some of Vandross’s high-profile collaborations from early in his career.






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