Thread by @nytimes

In its 2020 Greats issue, @tmagazine celebrates five extraordinary talents who, in mastering their crafts, have changed their fields — and the culture at large. nyti.ms/3m1ORgr

Before the world knew what intersectionality was, the scholar, writer and activist Angela Davis was living it, arguing not just for Black liberation, but for the rights of women and queer and transgender people as well. nyti.ms/31qfeVI

With her ethereal aesthetic, staggering performances and cerebral body of work that blends R&B and art-pop, the British artist FKA Twigs has charted a singular course for herself — and for the future of music. nyti.ms/37m2h2T

Delivering performances both profound and eccentric, the actress Sigourney Weaver has refused to be pinned down or defined throughout her nearly half-century career. At 71, she’s still going her own (mischievous) way. nyti.ms/2ILJpjD

In the seemingly simple gesture of photographing Black subjects in everyday life, Dawoud Bey helped to introduce Blackness in the context of fine art long before it was trendy, or even accepted. nyti.ms/3kcf63i

The artist Barbara Kruger’s compelling and predictive use of aphorisms has blurred the lines between political slogans, poetry and the language of advertising, offering a dark mirror for our meme-driven age. nyti.ms/3o7yile

“Not everyone gets to leave an indelible mark on the culture,” writes Hanya Yanagihara, the editor in chief of @tmagazine. “But those who do make us look at our known world anew, with different eyes. They make us swoon, they hold us spellbound.” nyti.ms/3jcGD3w