What are we talking about when we talk about art?
It can be a painting, a piece of music, a film, or even a sound or a performance. It is the ideology in the superstructure, conveying emotions through visual and auditory senses, a spiritual level of human cognition of the world, and a unique expression of the self.
And if we merge different art forms together, what kind of wonderful reactions will arise between them? The 2022 Pirelli annual calendar gives us the answer.
This edition of the annual calendar is presented in a unique way, it is enclosed in the envelope of a vinyl record, with the theme of "On The Road", led by Bryan Adams.
Brian Adams' name is no stranger to everyone, many of his albums have reached platinum sales, many singles have become the king of the charts, Hollywood action blockbusters often ring his music, it can be said that he is a full-fledged musician, but at the same time he is also a very talented photographer. These two seemingly unrelated identities intersected with his life. Rock and photography, or hustle and bustle, or tranquility, are all perfectly combined here, and perhaps this is the tension between art, first mutually exclusive, expanding, then blurring boundaries, then merging. Therefore, we can also consciously or unconsciously experience a hint of rock and roll in his photographs.
In the Pirelli Calendar, Brian Adams and the musicians relive the moments on the tour, from the tension before the show, to the break between rehearsals and concerts, to the long journeys between cities and the lonely moments in the hotel room. These are all very familiar experiences of Brian Adams himself, which helped him capture the unique characteristics of different artists.
"I try to creatively express the journey in the artist's life. One of the characteristics of photography is that the creator does not want everything to be routine, but to grasp a memorable picture, which is also the direction I have been working towards. —Brian Adams
The 2022 Pirelli calendar is more than 160 pages long and includes more than 70 portraits and scenes: St. Vincent (the cover character of the annual calendar) wakes up at the hotel; Carly Uchis rests by the pool; Savetti checks out before leaving; Cher is backstage; Normani rests before the audition; Jennifer Hudson Chuda Theater; Iki Pope (also the calendar cover character) before the show; Grimes in the recording studio; Bohan Phoenix returns to the hotel after the show; and Rita Ola after the show.
The star-studded Pirelli Calendar is not only a celebration of international music superstars from the 1960s to the present, but also a return to the Pirelli Calendar program after it was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. What is special about this time is that it coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Pirelli brand, and its commemorative logo was launched at the same time as this edition of the annual calendar.
Everything has always been born across borders, and today, cross-border has become a new way of life. As an Italian century-old tire company, Pirelli is not only well known in the field of tires, but also the side business - annual calendar, to the extreme. Every year, the most popular stars, the top supermodels and the most famous photographers are invited to shoot. Through cross-border art forms, it expresses the attitude and pursuit of life.
Perhaps, as the theme of this annual calendar is - on the road.