As time presses on, the definition of “newness” begins to blur: What is the distinction between art that is truly new and art that has not yet been experienced by a particular observer? In the 21st century, it sometimes feels like there is no distinction at all. Thanks to the internet, there is more art available at the click of a button than any human could experience in a single lifetime; there will always be something out there that is new to you. Art is, by nature, derivative, built on the trends that came before it, meaning that the evolution of art often happens too slowly to truly recognize. But, despite the seemingly limitless amount of new and old art, and despite the persistence of artistic trends which obfuscate the age of a work of art, there’s something special about old art that has somehow withstood the test of time and still has its presence widely felt in modern times: retro art. We can’t go back in time and engage directly with the past, but we can engage with the art that previous generations left behind for us. The Retro B-Side is a place to celebrate that art: the classics that stand and hold years and decades later, the hidden gems buried by the sands of time, the art we lovingly accept from our parents and their art we less-lovingly reject outright.
Senior Arts Editor Jack Moeser
Let the 1980s die
Mitchel Green
Daisy Jones & the Six': A retrospective ode to Fleetwood Mac
Graciela Batlle Cestero
Only some of my sisters are dead
Erin Evans
On becoming retro
Sarah Rahman
What happened to rock stars?
Laine Brotherton
Remembering Marilyn, Elizabeth and Audrey for the right reasons
Hannah Carapellotti