71 Photographs That Defined the Year in Arts

Compiled by Laura O’NeillJolie Ruben and Amanda Webster

Winter

“I’m not going to go into this aging process silently or happily,” said the artist Cindy Sherman, who emerged from a creative slump with electrifying new work.Credit…Caroline Tompkins for The New York Times

“Because Cindy Sherman is the model in her photographs, I was worried that every ‘straight’ image of her could be another character she is portraying. I decided to pick up some props like fake noses and makeup, with the idea that her transition from one character to the next was more of a true portrait than something straight on.” — Caroline Tompkins on photographing Cindy Sherman

The stars come out for the Oscars and the Golden Globes.Credit…Sinna Nasseri for The New York Times

“I read a comment that said my award show photos ‘look like they were taken by someone being dragged away by security.’ I do feel an urgency while photographing, as if the present moment is being wrenched away. There’s a lot that goes unseen at these events — life is so rich if you look closely.” — Sinna Nasseri on photographing behind the scenes at the Oscars and the Golden Globes

“Photographers often use Makita leaf blowers to create movement in people’s hair. The hand-held machines are very loud, so they’re often met with a lot of laughter as you point the hose directly into the subject’s face. But Sevigny doubled down on her fierceness, giving me this statuesque look.” — Thea Traff on photographing Chloë Sevigny

Spring

“When I rolled up to Lita’s property the entire landscape was enveloped in a dense fog. The original Malibu Line piece from 1978 was documented on a blue-sky, clear day, with Lita’s blue line cascading into the Pacific Ocean in the distance. As Lita began laying down her pigment I realized the fog would make the blue electric, buzzing and alive, in a way previously unseen.” — Chantal Anderson on photographing Lita Albuquerque’s artwork

“You might expect that a mythical creature appearing in Central Park would strike fear in the citizens of New York. In fact, it was greeted largely with joy, amusement and wonder. As we crossed from the west to the east through the Ramble, bird-watchers turned into Bigfoot-hunters, tourists laughed and smiled, and dog-walkers and their dogs stopped to stare.” — Brian Karlsson on photographing Nathan Zellner dressed as a sasquatch

“When I made this image, Eddie was playing the Emcee in ‘Cabaret,’ a character that presents ever-changing versions of himself throughout the show. The shadowy exposures of Eddie could be perceived as a reference to the role that he was playing, but I view it as more of a representation of the many facets of Eddie that he carries within himself.” — Dana Scruggs on photographing Eddie Redmayne

Twelve shows opened over nine days in April, making it the busiest week on Broadway.Credit…Landon Nordeman for The New York Times

“What I discovered over those nine days is an extremely passionate community — and that behind each Broadway show, is a ton of hard work and dedication and team effort. I discovered that the live audience is kind of a community, too — in their theater seats to celebrate the stories, the music, the performers and the people that they love.” — Landon Nordeman on photographing 12 openings during the busiest week on Broadway

“Maurizio rode his bike to the gallery and showed up with an endless source of energy. This carried through our whole shoot, with him coming up with his own wild ideas, such as proceeding to choke himself, completely unprompted.” — Vincent Tullo on photographing Maurizio Cattelan