Summer Break: Art That Breaks the Frame
During our summer break, we’re revisiting powerful conversations about breaking precedent. In this episode, we spotlight the work of three groundbreaking artists—Tamara Rojo, Windy Chien, and Trevor Paglen—whose visions challenge the status quo in art and culture. Rojo, a principal ballerina and director of the San Francisco Ballet, is rewriting ballet’s narratives to reflect more inclusive stories. Chien, who transitioned from the music industry to knot-tying art, uses her intricate creations to challenge perceptions of women’s work in fine art. Paglen, known for revealing hidden surveillance systems, uses his art to ask profound questions about visibility and ownership in the modern world.
Together, their stories show how beauty and disruption are often intertwined, offering bold new ways to understand power, labor, and identity.
Listen to the full episodes here:
- Breaking Pointe: San Francisco Ballet’s Tamara Rojo with Her Bold Vision for a Vibrant Future
Listen here: Apple | Spotify - Broken Records: Windy Chien on changing paths, tying stories into knots, and designing a new language of possibilities
Listen here: Apple | Spotify - Breaking Cover: Trevor Paglen with a bold artistic approach to challenging societal thinking and setting new precedents
Listen here: Apple | Spotify
Tamara Rojo
Tamara Rojo is a renowned ballerina and artistic director celebrated for her passion, discipline, and vision in the world of dance. Known for breaking traditional molds, Tamara believes that true achievement in the art form isn’t reserved for the most gifted—but for those who are most honest and disciplined with themselves. In this episode, she reflects on the sacrifices required to be “first” and the inspiration she draws from other art forms, powerful friendships, and exhibitions that remind her of the woman she aspires to be. Her story is a masterclass in resilience, artistry, and leading with heart.
Learn more about Tamara Rojo and explore her work at San Francisco Ballet.
Windy Chien
Windy Chien is an artist best known for The Year of Knots, a daily practice in 2016 where she learned a new knot each day, culminating in a striking installation of 366 knots. A former Apple music executive turned full-time artist, Windy’s work sits at the intersection of craft, design, and personal ritual. Her artistic process emphasizes discipline, flow state, and transformation—both of material and self. In this episode, she reflects on how teaching herself to tie knots became a journey of self-definition, ultimately claiming the title of “artist” through consistent creative labor.
Explore Windy’s work and learn more about The Year of Knots.
Trevor Paglen
Trevor Paglen is an artist and geographer known for pushing the boundaries of visibility, ownership, and space. His most iconic work—Orbital Reflector—was launched into space to challenge the concept of property and claim-free public art. Trevor’s work is a rainbow disruption, offering profound commentary from the artistic edge of precedent-breaking.
Learn about Orbital Reflector and explore Trevor's work here: https://www.paglen.com/.
Resources:
Carmen (Re-staging by Tamara Rojo)
Orbital Reflector
Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain” (Urinal)
Show Notes:
(00:00) – Introduction to Breaking Precedent
(01:00) – Challenging traditional gender roles and narrative endings in dance
(02:10) – How repetition turned into philosophy and large-scale art
(03:50) – How generative AI and new tools shift cultural perception
(04:23) – "Art is different than a lot of fields… it's people making stuff up… responding to the cultural, technological, and visual environment of the moment."
(06:00) – The essence of breaking precedent
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Leah Solivan is the host of Breaking Precedent, a podcast that explores the stories of innovators who are pushing societal boundaries and setting new precedents in their fields. Leah is General Partner at Fuel Capital, where she invests in early-stage companies across consumer technology, hardware, education, marketplaces, and retail. Leah has 15 years of experience building and creating technology products that have reached millions of people around the globe. She started her career at IBM as an engineer in the software group, working on Lotus Notes and Domino. In 2008, Leah founded TaskRabbit, the leading on-demand service marketplace in the world.
Connect with Leah:
Website: breakingprecedent.com/
Instagram: @labunleashed