RINGGOLD: THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX; KRAVITZ: ANA CUBA—THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX
Zoë Kravitz defies definition. She
contains multitudes and stands fully contains multitudes and stands fully
formed in her beauty, her intelligence, formed in her beauty, her intelligence,
her grace, her humor, her strength. her grace, her humor, her strength.
Part maverick, part savant, mostly Part maverick, part savant, mostly
just ... cool. Cool like Dylan. Cool like just ... cool. Cool like Dylan. Cool like
Cash. Cool like Nina Simone. Forged by Cash. Cool like Nina Simone. Forged by
the strength and grace of two incredible the strength and grace of two incredible
artists, but made whole by her own artists, but made whole by her own
grit and intellect. In her performance grit and intellect. In her performance
as Catwoman, you can see it all. She as Catwoman, you can see it all. She
draws in Batman, and the whole audi-draws in Batman, and the whole audi-
ence, as they wait to see if this mysteri-ence, as they wait to see if this mysteri-
ous creature will show her claws. She ous creature will show her claws. She
does—and they are sharp!does—and they are sharp!
Working with Zoë on Working with Zoë on Big Little Lies,Big Little Lies,
I discovered her hidden talent: her I discovered her hidden talent: her
humor. She made me laugh during humor. She made me laugh during
endless night shoots and always endless night shoots and always
pushed the comedic tension between pushed the comedic tension between
our characters onscreen. She brings our characters onscreen. She brings
an edgy humor to all her work—and to an edgy humor to all her work—and to
dinner parties, if you’re looking for a dinner parties, if you’re looking for a
perfect guest. perfect guest.
It would be very easy for Zoë to walk It would be very easy for Zoë to walk
through the world in a different way, through the world in a different way,
entitled and accomplished. But that’s entitled and accomplished. But that’s
not her style. She chooses the path of not her style. She chooses the path of
hard work, constantly innovating and hard work, constantly innovating and
pushing the status quo. She hustles, pushing the status quo. She hustles,
writes her own scripts, stays up all writes her own scripts, stays up all
night until the job is done. I’ve watched night until the job is done. I’ve watched
it up close, and it never ceases to it up close, and it never ceases to
amaze me.amaze me.
Zoë has done so much in her career Zoë has done so much in her career
thus far, but what I’m most excited thus far, but what I’m most excited
about is all that is coming next. Direct-about is all that is coming next. Direct-
ing, producing, cutting her own path. ing, producing, cutting her own path.
But always her way. Always cool. But always her way. Always cool.Witherspoon is an Oscar-winning Witherspoon is an Oscar-winning
actor and Emmy-winning produceractor and Emmy-winning producerAmerican People Series #20: Die
(1967), Faith’s path has been cou-
rageous, profound, and unflinch-
ing in its depiction of contempo-
rary society. Along the way, Faith
created a global legacy with her
beloved children’s books, includ-
ing the award-winning favorite Tar
Beach. A creative force and artis-
tic visionary, she has been making
breakthroughs for more than six
decades, something very clearly
exhibited in two retrospectives of
her art this past year—at the Glen-
stone Museum’s groundbreaking
presentation of the Serpentine-organized survey and at the New
Museum’s showcase. It is with
great joy that I reflect on the Stu-
dio Museum in Harlem’s seminal
1984 exhibition “Faith Ringgold:
Twenty Years of Painting, Sculp-
ture, and Performance 1963–
1983,” and consider all that Faith
has accomplished in the nearly
four decades since. The art world
is only just now catching up with
Faith Ringgold.Golden is the director and chief
curator of the Studio Museum
in HarlemZoë KZoë Kravitzravitz
Cool characterCool character
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