A New Lens on Joy: Art Meets Innovation in New York
This week in New York, the worlds of high art and cutting-edge technology have collided in a spectacular new exhibition titled ‘Joy in 3 Parts’. The showcase puts Apple’s latest marvel, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, directly into the hands of three acclaimed artists—Inez & Vinoodh, Mickalene Thomas, and Trunk Xu—tasking them with exploring the theme of joy through its revolutionary camera system. The results are nothing short of breathtaking.
Equipped with a trio of advanced 48MP Fusion cameras, the new iPhone represents a monumental leap in mobile photography. Its freshly integrated 4x and 8x zoom Telephoto lens is so powerful it genuinely rivals the capabilities of many mid-range DSLR cameras. Curated by Kathy Ryan, the former director of photography at The New York Times Magazine, the exhibition is a vibrant dialogue between three distinct artistic visions, all united by a single, incredibly capable device.
Inez & Vinoodh: Capturing Intimate Love
The Dutch-American photographic duo, Inez & Vinoodh, took a beautifully personal direction. They chose to document the love story of their son and his girlfriend, capturing the profound joy of witnessing a child experience romantic love for the first time. Their contribution, the ‘Think LOVE.’ pentatych, is a powerful installation featuring black and white portraits flanking three scenes of the couple in Marfa, Texas.
A striking element is the use of a vibrant red fabric, which in one image drapes over the embracing lovers in a clear nod to Gustav Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’. The level of detail is astonishing; the crisp texture of the textile is rendered with stunning clarity, thanks to the iPhone’s advanced HDR settings. Inez van Lamsweerde noted, “The iPhone’s immediacy and intimacy while preserving the highest photographic quality, has been a game-changer for us.”
Mickalene Thomas: The Radical Power of Rest
For multidisciplinary artist Mickalene Thomas, joy was found in capturing the authentic, leisurely life of her local Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. Moving away from her more formal, rhinestone-adorned portraits, Thomas used the iPhone’s lightweight and spontaneous nature to take off-the-cuff portraits of Black residents at rest.
Her series features tender moments: dancers practicing choreography, a couple cuddling in a hammock. “Too often, African Americans are seen through the lens of labour and endurance,” Thomas explains. “This work counters that narrative, exploring rest as a form of resistance, power, and self-reclamation.” The accessibility of the iPhone allowed her to document these fleeting, honest moments without the expectation of a formal pose, making the process itself part of the artwork’s powerful message.
Trunk Xu: The Stage of Social Life
In a fascinating contrast, Chinese artist Trunk Xu embraced a staged, theatrical approach to celebrate the culture of social media and our innate desire to share life’s moments. Using iconic Los Angeles backdrops—a bustling skatepark, the Santa Monica Pier, a classic motel room—Xu created vibrant, multi-faceted scenes bursting with life.
Each image is a story in itself: a couple kisses obliviously as others walk by; a mother takes a selfie while her daughter looks curiously up at the camera from a inflatable pool. There’s a palpable self-awareness in the subjects, highlighting how the iPhone, since its debut in 2007, has made us all comfortable both behind and in front of the lens. “The iPhone has unlocked a profound joy: the ability to document the world as it is now, an active participant ready for its moment,” Xu says.
Bring Artistic Vision Into Your Home
Seeing these powerful works, it’s clear that the barrier between professional artistic expression and accessible technology has never been thinner. The ability to capture profound beauty is now quite literally in our pockets. If this exhibition inspires you to bring more artistry into your own space, I invite you to explore my own curated collections.
For those drawn to the structured beauty of human creation, much like Trunk Xu’s iconic LA locales, my Architecture series offers monochrome artworks that celebrate the quiet poetry and dramatic forms of the built environment. Each piece is a distinct exploration of form, light, and perspective, transforming familiar spaces into moments of contemplation perfect for any modern home.
One Comment
Which artist’s interpretation of “joy” using the iPhone 17 Pro Max resonated with you most, and how do you think the device’s advanced camera features influenced their creative process?