In a year of upheaval, Adobe Max, an annual conference for creatives of a wide variety of fields, took place via the internet. The primary intent of the event is to showcase new features in Adobe products, but it also features a large amount of special guests. The lineup of speakers boasted a plethora of stars, from acclaimed film directors to celebrated illustrators to award-winning musicians. Though it was billed as a “live” event, the majority of the speakers came to the viewers through pre-recorded video clips. These artist-featuring clips were interjected with commentary by the host, which provided a kind of uncanny valley of interaction. Oftentimes they would remark that the video was “cool” or “inspiring”, making little to no non-nominal references to the content of what was shown.
The majority of these clips came in the form of jauntily edited promos for artists, animators, and photographers, although there were a couple of stand out instances of interviews and performances. One of those anomalies was the clip that Tyler, the Creator put together. It begins with a cheeky viewer discretion advisory followed by a reassertion of this sentiment–”We’re serious. Mature audiences only.” It then proceeds to take the viewer on a wild ride of an interview. Different rap archetypes pop in to interview a completely unfazed Tyler. Some of these characters are played by Tyler himself, while others are played by a friend.
Despite the inherent silliness that comes with a premise like this, Tyler manages to technically fulfill the Adobe Max promise of providing creative insight, even if it’s a miniscule amount. The unorthodox approach to his presentation, especially among the monotony of perfectly edited, beat-driven interviews, reveals something about his originality as an artist. He deftly pokes fun at his 19-year old persona while lobbing serious criticism at the pervasive attitudes of cancel culture. One of the interviewer characters makes reference to his current Igor persona, an odd ball with a strange wig that speaks in a canine tongue. For the most part, it’s a tongue in cheek sketch that gives off the impression of humility and self-awareness. It’s a refreshing break from the self-serious attitude that artists of all kinds fall into.
With everything that Tyler does, he attempts to push boundaries for better or for worse. In this case, he truly succeeded at bringing some life into what so easily could’ve been another stifled performance.
Unfortunately, Tyler, the Creator’s video is no longer available. Watch presentations from other artists here.
