I can't believe this is my fifth edition of my illustrated year in review project! Like the very first edition, I began this year's artwork while away from my usual surroundings. During a trip to Europe this December I spent some time learning about the Vienna Secessionists, and found a love for Koloman Moser and knew he had to be the historical inspiration for this iteration of the project. I hope amidst the good and bad moments documented here you can enjoy the process of looking back on the past year but also be reminded of the boomerang of emotions we experience while intaking the news.
Secession Building. Vienna, Austria
(1868–1918) Koloman Moser co-founded the Vienna Secession in 1897 alongside Gustav Klimt, Josef Hoffmann, and others. His contributions to the group include designing the façade decoration for their building and dozens of illustrations for the Ver Sacrum publication. In 1903 he helped establish Wiener Werkstätte a creative association that brought together artisans and designers to develop modern interiors, objects and graphics. In his later career he returned to painting with a signature yellow glow. His breadth of mediums and seamless blend between the fine arts and his graphic works is worth taking a closer look at!
The concept of the illustrated ‘Year in Review’ calendar comes from my Gran, Adelé Hamilton, and her annual tradition of drawing her family’s life in a ‘pathway’ as an anniversary gift to my Grandad. This simple yet consistent project became a beautiful highlight reel of their life together, and in the process, an accurate representation of the historic events of the 20th century. Her memories of family vacations mixed with world defining innovations and global conflicts (drawn in chronological order) is a brilliant reminder of the micro and macro worlds we occupy and observe.
Instead of my Gran’s pathway design, I’ve always illustrated my calendar around my mental picture of time. That visualization some people get when orienting themselves in time, for me, looks like this rectangle. As we approach the end of the year, I imagine myself at the top of this portrait oriented rectangle that moves clockwise with a condensed first 6 months and a more spread out latter half.
MONTHLY VISUAL 'KEY'
JANUARY
(5th) An Alaskan Airlines Boeing 737 makes emergency landing after a fuselage section blows out midair. 171 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes grounded for inspection.
(11th) South Africa begins its case accusing Israel of genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza and violating the 1948 genocide convention.
(15th) Donald Trump overwhelmingly wins the Iowa Republican Caucuses.
(17th) UK royal palace announces Catherine, Princess of Wales is hospitalized for abdominal surgery and King Charles III is receiving prostate treatment.
(31st) Caitlin Clark breaks scoring records in NCAA basketball.
FEBRUARY
(5th) Record of the year is awarded to Miley Cyrus for Flowers at the 66th Grammys.
(11th) Super Bowl LVIII is the most-watched TV program in US history, averaging 123.7 million viewers. Kansas City Chiefs win back to back titles and 3rd in 5 years.
(24th) Willy's Chocolate Experience is held in Glasgow, leading to viral mockery.
(29th) Brian Mulroney, 18th Prime Minister of Canada (1984-93), dies at 84.
MARCH
(1st) Dune: Part 2, opens in the US to critical acclaim and setting several box office records.It grossed $714.4 million worldwide.
(10th) Oppenheimer wins best picture and director at the 96th Academy Awards.
(26th) A cargo ship strikes and destroys the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
(29th) Beyoncé releases her album Cowboy Carter.
APRIL
(2nd) Taylor Swift is a newly crowned billionaire in addition to 140 others by Forbes.
(7th) New York region hit by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake, with multiple aftershocks.
(8th) A total solar eclipse is visible across a band covering parts of North America.
(18th) Police are sent in to remove students on campus at Columbia University protesting Israeli actions in Gaza - it ignites protests across campuses globally.
(26th) Love triangle sports drama, Challengers,is released in theatres.
MAY
(12th) The Eurovision Song Contest is won by Nemo from Switzerland.
(16th) Viral video of "Four Seasons Orlando Baby" (Kate Wise) is posted on TikTok.
(28th) The Pope apologises for using a homophobic term in a private assembly of Italian bishops, where he reconfirmed the churches ban on gay priests.
(30th) Jury in New York City find Donald Trump guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to hide payments made to prevent damaging personal information from being released prior to the 2016 election.
JUNE
(1st) World's largest-ever election ends in India after 6 weeks with 642 million people voting. Narendra Modi's remains as Prime Minister.
(7th) Charli XCX released her album brat which sparks the "brat summer" trend.
(9th) Chappell Roan performs at Gov Ball in New York dressed as the Statue of Liberty amidst a rapid rise in her popularity.
(27th) First debate between presumptive US presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump raises fears about Biden mental fitness.
JULY
(13th) Donald Trump survives an assassination attempt at an outdoor campaign rally in rural Butler, Pennsylvania, one spectator is killed.
(24th) Inside Out 2 becomes the highest-grossing animated film in history, making $1.69 billion worldwide.
(24th) Wildfires destroy much of the Canadian historic town of Jasper, Alberta.
(26th) Opening Ceremony for the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris held along the river Seine, with boats carrying the athletes and a performance by Celine Dion on the Eiffel Tower.
(31st) French swimmer Léon Marchand wins 2 gold medals on the same day.
AUGUST
(3rd) American gymnast Simone Biles wins the vault final for her 3rd gold medal of the Paris Olympics and career 7th gold over 3 Games.
(3rd) Stephen Nedoroscik is named the "pommel horse specialist" after winning double bronze medals in the team event and pommel horse final, garnering viral popularity on social media.
(3rd) Summer McIntosh wins her third gold medal at the Paris Olympics becoming the first Canadian to do so at a single Olympics.
(21st) Afghanistan's Taliban regime issues new vice and virtue laws banning the sound of women's voices or singing in public, or travelling anywhere without a male escort.
(22nd) Vice President Kamala Harris accepts the Democratic nomination for US President following Joe Biden stepping down from his re-election campaign.
SEPTEMBER
(1st) First phase of a polio vaccination drive for 640,000 children in Gaza gets underway after an epidemic is declared.
(3rd) Sabrina Carpenter’s album Short n’ Sweet is released, topping the charts.
(12th) Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus in Thailand, becomes an internet meme.
(16th) American music mogul Sean Combs is arrested and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
(17th) Handheld pagers belonging to members of Hezbollah explode across Lebanon and Syria killing 42 and injuring thousands in an Israeli attack.
(27th) Stage and screen actress Maggie Smith dies at 89.
OCTOBER
(9th) Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida two-weeks after Hurricane Helene and causes the one of the state's largest-ever evacuations.
(15th) More than a quarter of Lebanon is now under Israeli evacuation orders with 1.2 million displaced as Israeli strikes on Beirut continue.
(16th) English pop singer from One Direction, Liam Payne, dies after falling from a Buenos Aries hotel balcony at 31.
(17th) Yahya Sinwar, Palestinian politician and Hamas leaders behind the previous year's October 7th attack on Israel, is killed in Rafah by Israeli Defense Forces.
(22nd) LeBron and Bronny James become first father-son duo in NBA history to appear in a game together.
NOVEMBER
(5th) Former Republican US President Donald Trump is re-elected.
(13th) Gladiator II directed by Ridley Scott and starring Paul Mescal premieres.
(19th) Ukraine fires American-made long-range missiles into Russia for the first time.
(22nd) Wicked: Part 1 opens in theatres, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
DECEMBER
(1st) US President Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden.
(3rd) South Korean president President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law for the first time in 50 years and is later impeached by a vote (14th).
(7th) Restored Notre Dame Cathedral re-opens after the 2019 fire.
(8th) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad resigns and flees to Moscow.
(9th) Luigi Mangione is arrested and charged with the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson (4th) and generates a flurry of online discourse.
