Drake’s “Hotline Bling” music video has been picked apart by many since its release, but not by the artist whose aesthetics directly inspired the Canadian rapper’s visual treatment. Drake admits citing James Turrell’s “Breathing Light” exhibition as a creative influence, first discovering Turrell’s work as part of a retrospective at LACMA. There, he managed to interact with the display “while his assistant [took] photos of him,” according to Rolling Stone.
Still, for all his interference and appropriation, Turrell has stated that he harbors no ill feelings. In a blog post by his lawyer, aptly titled “What a Time to Be Alive,” Turrell provided the following statement:
“While I am truly flattered to learn that Drake f*cks with me, I nevertheless wish to make clear that neither I nor any of my woes was involved in any way in the making of the Hotline Bling video.”
Seems like he took Drake’s reenactment of his work with a grain of salt, and even a sense of humor!
