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volume V Editor In Chief
Eloisa de Farias
Editor In Chief
Julia Smith
Managing Editor
Talia Smith
Senior Writing Editor Lead Designer Creative Director
Taina Millsap Gabriela Portugal Julia Smith Lauren Dillow
Videographer
Christian Portugal
Writers
Faith Bugenhagan Olivia Cigliano Eloisa De Farias Audrey Jaber Gabriela Portugal Talia Smith Audra McClain Nadia Borg Madison Goldberg Roxanne Chevalier Taina Millsap
Photographers
Style
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Michael Hanano Elaine Tantra Julia Smith Taina Millsap Talia Smith Zoey Schorsch Lauren Dillow
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ooking up at the sky at night, it’s hard to believe the shimmering dots above are astronomically large stars and planets. It’s even harder to believe what lies beyond what we can see when we stargaze on the bed of a truck, counting shooting stars and guessing the names of the visible constellations. Space is curiosity. It’s imagination, reality and rarity tied up in a string of galaxies and comets. When we started this issue, we knew we wanted to explore what is beyond us. But more than what is beyond ourselves, our cities, or even our countries, we wanted to explore what was beyond Earth. Life on Earth can be boring. We get caught up in the normal, mundane, and oftentimes the constant failures of humanity. Affection wants to take you away to another planet, a world where new colors are possible, different life forms exist, and time warps. We are curious about the unknown, the impossible, and the future of humanity. We are in the age of technology, where we are becoming aides to the machines that make our world go round. How does the lush nature of Earth interact with the silvery gadgets we have learned to love? Affection wants to know. This issue is a rocket ship hurtling into the vastness of space, hopping from one new planet to the next. We get to probe novelty within many aspects of culture such as the art of gastronomy and the innovation of architecture with 3D art. Dive into existence beyond Earth, from plants that grow on other planets to the possibility of life in galaxies beyond ours. We even got to feature out-of-this-world individuals pioneering cultural resets such as Anania Williams. Flip through the pages and travel through the cosmos of the world Affection built just for you.
With Affection, Eloisa and Julia
Affection Magazine • 1
Table Table
OF OF
CONTENTS CONTENTS
i
opening Jabari on Mars
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fashion At the Heart of a Black Hole Fashion Travels Through Time Space Gardens
2 • Affection Magazine
12 14 16
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iii iv
culture The Science Behind The Stars Digital Abduction An Out-of-This-World Playlist The Great Silence
20 22 27 28
interview Anania Williams: Space Drag Edition
v
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art 3D Art: Transporting Us to New Dimensions Gastronomy Intergalactic Love Relations Rejected Greeting Card If You Could Live Among the Stars
38 44 46 52 54
Affection Magazine • 3
Jabari on Mars, Directed and Photographed by Michael Hanano. Modeled by Jabari Wimbley. Styled by Lauren Mitzelfelt. Production Assistant Camille Hobson. 4 • opening
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10 • opening
Unrequited Desire By Nadia Borg Everything I touch is brought to ruin. So, Stars, Stay where you are, Out of reach. Where all that will bring about your decay is the gentle caress of time. Stay where you are, A beautiful inessential, Unusable. And far, far away. Because it is my nature to take, And deem damnation on what I find has no use to me beyond beauty. I am a selfish creature. And you are lovely. One day I will realize your intangible nature, And no longer will I gaze longing or reach desperately for what I should not have. And when that day comes, That day that I no longer let you reflect in my eyes, On that day, you will be safe. So please, While I still dream of holding you, Stay where I may see you, Yet be elusive to my covetous hands.
opening • 11
12 • Fashion
At the Heart of a Black Hole, Directed and Photographed by Elaine Tantra. Modeled by Will Percarpio. Hair and Makeup by Fatima Sawray. Styling by Will Percarpio. Assisted by Julia Smith and Amya Diggs.
Fashion • 13
Fashion Travels Through Time Written by Gabriela Portugal
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lack leather blazers, slicked-back hair and oval sunglasses are making their way back into the closets of fashion-forward individuals. This sleek, modern look, reminiscent of “The Matrix”, is anything but new. Most of the styles seen on catwalks each season are recycled ideas from the past. Fashion historian, writer and professor at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising, Amanda Hallay, shares where designers search for inspiration. “For the past thirty years or so, designers have looked more to the past than to the future for inspiration,” she explains. Hallay points out the importance of adding a modern touch to every look. “Designers make old styles look new by altering the silhouette (for example, a runway designer today may be inspired by the 1980s, but won’t put enormous shoulder pads in a jacket if he wants someone to wear it), and generally modifying past styles to correspond to a contemporary aesthetic,” she says. However, fashion is not completely retrospective. It can become futuristic and modern when designers find inspiration outside of the fashion world. Hallay tells us, “Fashion trends aren’t invented by designers; they are born of a million different factors that make up a fashion idea. Politics, economics, culture, science… all of it conspiring to make fashion happen the way that it does.” A genre popular among fashion designers is sci-fi. Alexander McQueen with Givenchy were responsible for the 1998 Fall/Winter collection reminiscent of 1982’s “Blade Runner.” The sleek yet swanky look came back on runways in Bottega Veneta’s Fall/Winter 2017 show 14 • Fashion
Photographed by Elaine Tantra and Raf Simmons’ Spring/Summer 2018 show. “Barbarella,” a 1968 sci-fi film starring Jane Fonda, was also a film of inspiration for designers. Taking place in the far future, “Barbarella” the space adventurer travels intergalactically to find and stop an evil scientist. “Barbarella” seems to have been a point of inspiration for Jeremy Scott’s Spring/ Summer 2016 collection. Not to mention Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2017 campaign, which included a full-blown Star Trek video homage, complete with looks in the notoriously retro-space style. Cristina Pérez-Arranz, a sci-fi literature professor at Emerson College, explains the basis of the genre. Perez-Arranz explains that sci-fi “is a genre from the 1920s, originally literary, that comments on science and technology in the future—or the advances of either of them.” The forward-thinking characteristic is helpful for fashion designers, who need to keep their creations new and fresh. Not only do designers attempt to keep the styles of their collections modern and futuristic, but they use different textiles to keep their designs forward-thinking, too. Hallay says, “Today, however, the ‘new’ and ‘futuristic’ isn’t to be found in cut or silhouette, but in technology applied to fibers. Clothing that ‘does stuff’ is the most exciting and futuristic element in fashion today. Clothing that changes its density depending on your own temperature, clothing that lights up, plays music, etc.” The functions of clothing eclipsed the need for style and basic needs. With all the new technologies incorporated into runway pieces and ready-to-wear garments, fashion has become the future.
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16 • Fashion
SPACE GARDENS
Written by Olivia Cigliano Photos by @supinatra
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s famous and mysterious as alien existence is, whether it’s about their whereabouts or physical characteristics, another question surrounds extraterrestrial plantlife. In fact, like all evidence of life outside Earth, alien vegetation has yet to be discovered (well, except for @supinatra’s garden, but we’ll get to that). NASA identified 3,667 exoplanets in 2,747 systems as of 2017, as well as moons and planets within our solar system that could potentially host primitive life like microorganisms. However, space detectives are still combing the universe for nature as vibrant and lush as Earth’s, anticipating decades of research with technology that’s yet to be invented. But there are some clues that point to the existence of plant life on other planets, measured in a sub-discipline field of study called Astrobotany. Astrobotanists use infrared telescopes to measure the light reflected by plants on a planet’s surface, called the vegetation red edge (VRE), which detects signatures of oxygen, water vapor, or other indications of life. They hope this will reveal the presence of extraterrestrial vegetation. Although astrobotany remains one of the many mysteries of the Milky Way, some NASA scientists believe we may be able to predict the color of plants on other planets outside of our solar system. Research suggests that each planet has different dominant colors for photosynthesis, based on the planet’s natural atmosphere and where and how much light reaches the planet’s surface. The dominant colors in vegetation on far-away planets point to hues of green, yellow, or red. The search for space gardens has long been overshadowed by the curiosity for microbial life, but some humans are dreaming up their own extraterrestrial greenhouse. Maria Luneva (@supinatra on Instagram) is a “Flower Artist and Flower Killer” based in Moscow. The twenty-three-year-old creates lifestyle objects such as underwear, glasses, manicures, and masks, constructed with natural elements that inspire her— for example, petals, dirt, or insects. Luneva’s plant-based masterpieces have an air of otherworldly gore, eerie germination and whimsical wonder.
Fashion • 17
What are you inspired by? Who are you inspired by? Nature always inspires me: plants and their petals, fruits, insects and even dirt. I started my work inspired by the works of the already held artist Katya Molchanova (@thundergirl_xtall) When, why, and how did you begin working with plants and flowers for beauty looks? It all started in the spring, during the quarantine period. I had a lot of free time to listen to myself and not rush anywhere. I saw Katya’s work and after a while I found myself photographing a mushroom behind my ear. This was my first job, you can find it by scrolling down my Instagram. How do you source your materials? I find flowers while walking my dog, who obediently waits for me at every bush, as I do for him. I live next to the forest, so the materials are everywhere.
18 • Fashion
If you were an alien, would you look like your art? Which planet would you be from? What do you imagine aliens look like? I think my appearance would make it easy to understand which planet I would be from because I would decorate myself with the local flora. I think that aliens definitely have hands with fingers. How do you imagine what alien vegetation looks like on other planets? I would like to think that it is no less diverse than on earth. I represent many unusual colors and shapes. Do you have a favorite look or creation you’ve done? What look do you want to do next? I do not have a favorite, everything I make is like a puzzle of my world. I have a lot of non-embodied ideas in my notes, I don’t know which one I will choose next. And maybe tomorrow there will be a new idea.
What do you hold affection for? I have affection for Russian nature.
Fashion • 19
The Science Behind the Stars Written By Madison E. Goldberg
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f you’re a member of the TikTok Generation (Gen Z or Zoomers if you will), chances are you’ve been seeing a lot of content online about astrology lately. Astrology is no new concept–– in fact, it’s been around since approximately 2,400 years ago, in Babylon. So why are teens and college students suddenly so wrapped up in something so ancient? The hashtag “astrology” currently stands at 27 billion views on TikTok. Thousands of users on the platform read tarot cards for their collectives of followers, and others offer insight into celestial events that play a role in astrology. And the viewer base is growing rapidly. The zodiac signs are assumed to have come to be around 330 BCE, when Alexander the Great conquered Egypt. Both the Romans and 20 • Culture
the Egyptians believed in the divination of planets. Eventually, the Greeks wound up jumping on the bandwagon too. For a while, astrology and astronomy were considered one and the same, until Sir Isaac Newton calculated the skies and set numbers to space in the early 18th century. In a year and a half of uncertainty amid the pandemic, they looked to the stars for guidance. Aricka Croxton, a sophomore at Emerson College, says that she learned a lot about herself in the process. “I became especially interested in figuring out my whole birth chart, and my parents’ birth charts,” said Croxton. “I could see how it could be backed by science, because once you figure out your chart, it begins to make sense why you are the way you are,” said Croxton.
Carolyn Vaimoso never really got into astrology until college, given that she was raised in a Catholic family. “Astrology actually started out as something I didn’t believe in. With all the time on my hands and how curious I was about it, I decided to read up on it. Many of my friends always spoke about natal charts and the different planet signs and their significance,” said Vaimoso. Vaimoso felt a change in her beliefs when she started following astrology. “When I began college, I slowly saw myself picking and choosing what I believe in my religion. I also began reading more about astrology and integrating it more within my conversations. Would I consider this a complete replacement? No. But I do see myself involuntarily using and believing astrology a lot more than the religion I used to practice,” said Vaimoso. Astrology corresponds to astronomy— while the former is an abstract concept that some believe to determine personality and life events, the latter are the constellations on which it is based. Each
of the twelve star signs has its own constellation, and one’s sign is determined by their birth date. But alas, it would seem the two have separated in modern times. According to a study published by Cambridge University Press back in 2011, astrology refers to “studying the heavens,” whereas astronomy refers to “writing the heavens.” The two were one and the same throughout Antiquity and the Renaissance: Kepler was selling unfounded horoscopes from 1571 to 1630, before the invention of the telescope allowed for a direct look at the stars. All it took was a better view to understand the science. Despite the unfortunate lack of scientific evidence, many still find comfort in looking to the night sky. “It gives me more freedom and more comfort than traditional religions or science,” said Croxton. While astrology may not be written in our textbooks, it’s written in the stars, and in our own personal histories. It is only up to us to look up and read the stars. Culture • 21
Digital Abduction, Directed by Julia Smith and Eloisa de Farias. Modeled by Fatima Swaray and Qiyue Zhang. Makeup by Jennie Greco. Styling by Lauren Dillow and Pieper Meccia. Photographed by Julia Smith. 22 • Culture
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An Out-Of-This-World Playlist Written and Created By Roxanne Chevalier
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ometimes, I imagine what it would be like if aliens came to Earth and, all of a sudden, we got to hang out. I’ve got a laundry list of questions I’d want to ask: what their day-to-day lives look like, how they tell time, what they do for fun, whether they have governments, what they eat, whether they drink water. I’d also like to know if they have music, and what their music is like. Music has had an overwhelming impact on human life, and I just know I’d go absolutely berserk for an “Arrival” style moment of listening to alien music that completely alters the way I see the world. Maybe when they do get to Earth (if they’re not already here), they’ll show me what music they get down to so I don’t have to assume that they’d only like songs with space references in them, or tracks with cool, funky vocal reverb. But that day is yet to come. So, in the meantime, this is a playlist of songs I would play at an alien function that I think everyone could groove to.
Outer Space Liz Cooper, The Stampede
666 Sugar Candy Mountain
Dynamism Unfortunate Samaritan
Woof Woof ARTHUR
Ça fait du bien - Polo & Pan Remix Antonin, Polo & Pan
Stoner Drug Cabin
Asc. Scorpio Oracle Sisters
Lucy Yenkee
I’m Sleepin’ In King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Fleas Get High Goons of Doom
Sense King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Carry Me The Original Crooks and Nannies
Cheeky Kids Marlin’s Dreaming
Scrambled Inside Pinc Louds
Exotica Parcels
SUPERFLY Strange Case
Dreams Via Memories Ceramic Animal
Culture • 27
The Great Silence Written By Faith Bugenhagen Photos provided by Faith Bugenhagan
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e look up to the stars on clear nights, pointing to constellations. If we get lucky and the timing is right, we may even get a glimpse of a planet. Space seems so close to us. It encourages us to focus on what lies beyond. So what does lie beyond? The Fermi Paradox, or “The Great Silence,” are terms coined by physicist Enrico Fermi (Harrington). Fermi identified a lack of space exploration in twentieth-century science— more specifically, there was no debate about life on other planets. Whether it be planets that sustained other beings or could sustain the human population, scholars were not searching for answers. Thus, the notion of “The Great Silence” was born: a thread of thought-provoking questions about life on other planets for later academics to explore. Around the 1980s, researchers started to seek answers and found the main elements required to sustain life. These include carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrogen, and make up the building blocks of life: proteins and amino acids (Sagan). These findings helped piece together the basics of their search. As the search grows more complex, technological innovation has allowed scientists to tackle larger obstacles. The James Webb Space Telescope, designed to investigate super-Earths, surveys habitable planets (Sagan). Researchers are hopeful that it is capable of detecting an outsized version of Earth. The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope analyzes the environments of the planets in our solar system (Sagan). It scans their planes for oxygen and water vapor, the first indicators of potential life. Technology is not the only instrument being used in this search: many experiments have been created to help in this effort. One of the most revolutionary is linked to the initial search for water on planetary surfaces. This practice is called capillary electrophoresis, a liquid-based extraction process that separates chemical compounds of a sample (Greicius). The method is especially important in surveying ocean-based planets. This work has proved beneficial. In 2015, researchers found an Earth-like planet close to the Sun. Scientists referred 28 • Culture
to it as “Earth’s bigger, older cousin” and named it Kepler-452b (Greicius). More recently, In 2019, researchers found TRAPPIST-1, a star with Earth-like planets orbiting it and a solar system remarkably similar to ours. Three of TRAPPIST-1’s planets even appeared to have water— the search for a safe planet is not as far-fetched as it seems. The main obstacles in this search tend to stem from environmental limitations in these planets. Human life requires regulated temperatures to survive, temperatures that are not often met on cosmic landscapes. The few spots where these conditions can be found are called Goldilocks zones (Greicius). Their distance from the Sun creates environments that could be fit for human life, but they still lack the rest of the building blocks needed to support it. Despite the fruitless investigation on this front, planets have been found that may sustain other organisms. The debate about extraterrestrial beings in the universe was once in the science fiction ballpark, but it is now a matter of scientific consideration. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI Institute) is committed to finding and communicating with extraterrestrial life. One of SETI’s most significant moments occurred in 1977, when they came into radio contact with another planet. The breakthrough, now referred to as the Wow! signal, played a key role in convincing NASA to make official the search for extraterrestrial life. The possibility of beings existing in outer space was no longer science fiction. Despite these advances, why have we not yet come across any tangible evidence? The aestivation hypothesis is a commonly supported theory: extraterrestrials are in hibernation, waiting out their home planet’s hostile temperatures. Or, according to the Super Planet Theory, extraterrestrial organisms could be trapped in the atmospheres of their own planets (Greicius). Whatever the reasons may be, the search continues for an Earth-like planet as new motivations arise. The current climate crisis has made space exploration even more pressing. Technology continues to evolve, assisting researchers in making strides towards their end goal. Their perseverance is fueled by the hope of life beyond Earth, a hope that may soon transition into a need for the human race.
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30 • Interview
Written by Talia Smith Photographed and Directed by Talia Smith Styled by Zoey Schorsch Assisted by Julia Smith Modeled by Anania Williams Interview • 31
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hen 21 year-old TikTok star Anania Williams isn’t working on school at Emerson College he can be found popping off on Twitter, singing or creating out-of-this-world drag looks. The Musical Theater major and Social justice minor is always finding a way to tie his love for movies, music, and comedy into everything he does. With taurus sun, libra moon and leo rising placements making up his birth chart, he’s just one fire sign short of holding all the elements in his larger-than-life personality — and it shows. Affection had the chance to chat with him about all things drag, space, and career aspirations.
••• When was your first time trying drag and how happy were you with the results? Ha! It was in January of 2021. And it was so bad. It was so, so, so, so bad. I was learning how to glue down my eyebrows, and it was just so bad. But, you know, we all have to... die to run? What’s that saying? Crawl to walk? How long does a typical drag look take you, and how do you make the time for it? Well, right now I’m in hour two of doing this look. But I’m usually done in about three hours. And sometimes, it’s really hard to do it, because I need to just devote that decent amount of time to myself. And I just need to let myself focus on me for a second, which is usually not fun for me. But it is with drag, because the transformation is worth it. That, and it’s kind of relaxing. It’s a moment to check in with myself. Let’s set the scene. You’re being sent into space in five minutes and you can bring five products with you to do a full makeup look. What do you bring? So definitely my bottom lashes. Then blush— orange blush, at that. And maybe a green eyeshadow. Last two would be black lip liner, and then a red lip. I would look like a cheapass space prostitute, but that’s okay. Do you think you need high-end makeup to create a successful drag look? Absolutely not. You know, with all the promos and stuff, I definitely get some makeup from there. But mostly it’s just a matter of personal preference. I truly think you can get a full, beautiful face done with anything from a drug store.
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If you had the lead role in a musical, but it was performed in space, what musical would you want it to be? Oh my God, it has to be absolutely insane because we’re in space. To be completely honest with you, definitely “Shrek.” Ha! That would be so crazy. “Shrek” in Space— Oh my God! It even sounds crazy, “Shrek” in Space. Really rolls off the tongue. You get to choreograph a drag performance in space. What planet are you choosing for the venue, who are you inviting, and what’s your solo performance song? Definitely Saturn. Saturn is the most beautiful planet. And my first drag song will be “Only Girl In The World” by Rihanna. It would also definitely be a comedy show. So I’d invite my favorite comedy Queens: Monét X Change, maybe Bob the Drag Queen, definitely Trixie and Katya. So space is zero-gravity, which means you can do a lot. What’s the first thing you’d try if you were on the moon? I want to say something but I don’t know… Can I say it? Okay, honestly, definitely masturbate. Like, I gotta jack off. Just to see what happens. If I had to give a PG-13 answer, it would probably be, like, to wave or sing. Leading off the zero-gravity aspect… first sex position you’d try in space? Oh, God. You can really do so many things. Like a spread-eagle moment. Wait, who am I having sex with in space? Anyone? Okay, yeah. Definitely spread-eagle, and with Jack Mulhern from The Society. Bring that show back! That shit was so good! Let’s talk about aliens. Do you think they’re real? My stance on aliens is the same stance I have with ghosts and stuff like that. I don’t really think that they’re real, but if they were, I wouldn’t be surprised. I guess I would need some concrete evidence, like I’d have to see something to believe it. I’m not gonna just believe someone who’s like, “Oh my God, I just saw an alien right now.”
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Ever secretly wish you’d get abducted? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, oh my God. Like, ple-e-e-ase think I’m special enough. But honestly, it would be a waste of their time. Like, time management wise. They don’t need me up there. Are you into astrology, or not so much? My thing with astrology is that I hate when people are like, “Ah, Sagittariuses are so toxic.” And then they say that about every other sign, too. Like, no one is not toxic. They’ll also be like, “Ohhhh, if you’re a Leo, you were born with an umbilical cord.” Like, um? Favorite drag queens lately? I love Bob the Drag Queen. I love Trixie and Katya, duh. I’ve been pretty into Plastique Tiara recently, too— she’s everything. Stunalina. Really good on TikTok, too. Least favorite drag queens, if you have any? I don’t like Asia O’Hara, because she said this really fatphobic thing to one of my mutuals online. And I was like, c’mon, girl. But I think that’s about it, honestly. I don’t hate a lot of people in drag. Any favorite space-themed movies, songs, or albums you can think of ? “Planet Her” by Doja Cat. My favorite song from that album changes a lot. Right now, it’s “I Don’t Do Drugs,” featuring Ariana Grande. But being into space-themed stuff wasn’t my truth growing up. I wasn’t one of those boys.
Last but not least, what do you hold Affection for? Okay. Sixteenth and eighteenth-century dirty talk. When people send me music that they think I’d like. I like food. I love a good riff and run. I hold affection for music, of course. Oh, also, the impulse buy sections at stores. And a good oversized striped shirt. That shit will get me through my day.
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Tea Party, Jenny Jiang
3-D Art:
Transporting
Us
to New
Dimensions
Written By Eloisa de Farias 38 • Art
What is a dreamscape? It’s a surreal landscape or scene that puts us in a mysterious trance, making us wish we could jump through our screens and indulge in the serenity and peacefulness. 3-D design is transforming the way we view design, architecture and interactions with nature. These are three dreamscape artists pioneering the 3-D revolution.
Jenny Jiang, Designer & Artist@jennymjiang on Instagram
Explain 3D art like you are explaining it to a baby. 3D art, to me, is like creating a world of your own, however you would like to envision it! The art that I create explores surrealism, nature and how architecture can live in these worlds. 3D art could almost be anything that looks “three-dimensional,” but what’s so exciting about it is that every artist has a different lens in which they create their world and explore so many topics that mean a lot to them. If you could live in any one of the art works you’ve created, which one would it be and why? The mushroom world! I love this one because it reminds me so much of “Alice in Wonderland,” which is one of my favorite movies! What feelings do you try to evoke with your artwork? How do you bring those feelings to life? Serenity, calmness and joy are the feelings that I hope to evoke with my artwork. As I’m creating, I try to “feel” the work as it’s developing by imagining myself living in the world I’m making. For example, if I wanted to create something that provoked a sense of calmness and meditation, the considerations I would make would include the softness of the sun, the time of the day, ripples on the water and the color of the sky.
Watermelon Canyon, Jenny Jiang
What themes or messages are important to you? I always try to bring a sense of joy and playfulness through my artwork, as well as communicating the beauty of nature and how it’s so important to preserve the natural world around us.
Bliss, Jenny Jiang
Strawberry Dunes, Jenny Jiang Art • 39
Spiral Ocean Fantasy Room, Patty Madden 40 • Art
Porthole Palace Fantasy Room, Patty Madden
Perspectra Trellis, Patty Madden
Patty Madden, Digital Creator, Artist & Product Designer@pattymadden on Instagram How does 3D design influence you? My works are reflections of where my thoughts want to be. I picture myself in these settings and how I would feel there. These are places where I am most content. The motion and repetition of the animations are calming and make me feel focused. This way, the external world no longer exists. There are no distractions anymore. I wanted to share these spaces with others so that others can experience what I do. I can’t change the world, only how I recreate it in my mind for myself and others, visually. What does the process of creating an artwork look like? I visualize the spaces and they emerge. They come to me in dreams at times. Music has a huge influence on my thoughts. I use many of my pattern designs in these spaces using unique applications. Loving patterns, I have designed thousands of them. I am using my patterns to create architectural structures, trellises and gardens. I love parametric architecture and see my patterns applied in many forms within it.
You often have modern architecture interacting with nature, something we don’t see very often. What is the purpose of doing this? Perhaps because I live in a warm climate, I always see the natural outside world as part of my living environment. It is hard for me to visualize a setting without it. To me, it is everything. Water, sky, greenery, moonlight and sunlight influence architecture in so many ways. And then there is motion. I also started adding animated birds and butterflies to my videos to bring the natural world even closer to me. I love birds, butterflies and flowers. I am obsessed. Why do you do what you do? What is your purpose and motivation? Designing and creating everyday is like breathing to me. Working with color makes me feel nourished. I am motivated by the need to create beauty. Even if I am the only one who sees it. We live in a multidimensional world where 3D art becomes normal and expected. This is the world that I visualize daily. There are no limits… This moment in history is the most exciting time to be an artist. If we can think it or dream it, anything is possible with the new technologies at our fingertips. Art • 41
Mercedes Luna Larrahona, Designer, Illustrator, & Sculptor - @merlarrahona on Instagram How do you incorporate the feeling of surrealism into your work and what elements make these dreamscapes? I think that you can find the idea of surrealism in my work through the almost impossible spaces— for example, houses in the middle of the sea. It is not part of the most fantastic surrealism, but the shapes and colors can take you to a dreamspace full of design objects. The surrealism is more evident in my animations, where these objects come to life, flying, disappearing, changing their size or color, etc. Could you speak a little bit about your experience with object design and how that plays a part in your artwork? Object design is one of the things that I like the most! Two years ago I started to design a tubular chairs collection, improving them with the time. A combination of golden steel tube and padded segments of velvet. If I’m lucky, they can be brought to life. Apart from the chairs, I enjoy designing and modeling different things as vases, tables, lamps and other decorative objects. In real life, I mean, out of the digital world, I am a sculptress, so I can feel the objects with my hands. It is
Big Front Room, Mercedes Luna Larrahona 42 • Art
something very satisfying. Then I like to model in 3D my sculptures and add them to my spaces. Why do you do what you do? What is your purpose and motivation? What drives me to do what I do are these kinds of mental visions I have about spaces, and naturally I must find a representation that is able to make them real. Fortunately I have this tool, 3D illustration. And it is an enormous thing to see that my work has recognition. It is one of the greatest motivations. Do you see 3D art being a part of the future? Actually, I can see it hogging the real world! Nowadays, you can hardly differentiate some digital images from photography, if their intention is being very realistic. But certainly 3D art is gaining followers and it’s slipping into more disciplines. I think it’s an awesome tool and we can take advantage of that.
Atardecer, Mercedes Luna Larrahona
Art • 43
Escena, Mercedes Luna Larrahona
Roman Bath, Mercedes Luna Larrahona
GASTRONOMY: How Tradition and Innovation Merge to Make Eye-Catching Cuisine Written by Audrey Jaber Photos by Joshua Enzolaia
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oconut caviar, edamame in the shape of a single-cell organism and a white chocolate sponge cake that resembles a planet floating through the cosmos: these are the types of dishes that you can expect from chef and gastronomist Joshua Enzolaia. Enzolaia has always had an interest in cooking. He spent his childhood in A Coruña, Spain, cooking with his mother and grandmother, before discovering his passion for gastronomy, a study which focuses on the relationship between food and culture, combined with the art of preparing and serving appetizing dishes. “Gastronomy is the way I express my feelings and emotions to people through a plate,” Enzolaia explains. “My goal when I cook is that the diner can get to feel what I have felt when cooking that dish. The most important thing is to be able to transmit emotions.” Enzolaia fuses his Spanish roots with foods traditional in the Netherlands, where he has lived for the last five years. “My food is based on starting from traditional cuisine, and transforming it by merging various cultures and techniques without losing the essence of the product,” Enzolaia says. Despite the traditional base of his food, the dishes that Enzolaia makes today are far from conventional. From spherification and gelification to flash freezing and emulsification, many of the techniques that Enzolaia favors sound straight out of a science fiction novel. Who knew that hazelnut could be transformed into caviar spheres or that beets are capable of becoming a gel, powder and foam? “I like to use chemical processes in the food to change the texture,” Enzolaia notes. “I always want to make new experiences for the diners.” He certainly
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accomplishes that goal, as the average diner probably hasn’t tried anything like the distinctive dishes that he dreams up. All of Enzolaia’s dishes feature bright colors and intricate designs, like a landscape of the ocean floor or the tentacles of an octopus arranged in the shape of a seahorse. These dishes— and many others that Enzolaia creates— feature octopus, his favorite food to work with. “I’m from a city where our famous dish is the octopus, so all my favorite dishes start with it,” Enzolaia says. “But now, my octopus is completely different than what I learned with my family and what we do in my city.” Much of Enzolaia’s cooking today differs from what he learned back in his grandmother’s kitchen. Gastronomy is an ever-changing practice that favors innovation and creativity. “It’s something that’s changing all the time,” Enzolaia remarks. “There are always new techniques.” For Enzolaia, the future includes embracing a more sustainable way of cooking, in addition to the latest gastronomy techniques. “I’m starting a restaurant,” he says. “It’s a one hundred percent sustainable restaurant and the menu is one hundred percent vegetarian.” This restaurant will be located in a completely renovated church, following Enzolaia’s tendency to fuse the old with the new. In everything that Enzolaia does, he aims to provide the diner with an unmatched and enjoyable experience. “I don’t want to make sad dishes. I always try to make a happy plate that makes you smile first, and then you want to try it,” Enzolaia says. “It’s like life. Nobody wants to have a sad life.”
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Intergalactic love Relations Photographed and Directed by Taina Millsap Styled by Taina Millsap, Eloisa de Farias and Olivia Heinze
Edited by Taina Millsap Designed by Taina Millsap Modeled by Olivia Heinze and an Alien
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But now you’ll finally get that space you were asking for!
Rejected Greeting Card Written by Audra McClain
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was three hours old when I received my first greeting card. Yes, I mean hours and not years. Technically it was my mother who received the card decorated with fancy calligraphy that read, “Congrats on the baby girl!” Being the baby girl in question, I say that card was just as much mine as it was the woman’s who had just spent seven hours in labor. In elementary school, I was repeatedly asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. The answer was the same every time. A greeting card writer. My “superiors” would chuckle at me. I knew what they were thinking behind those condescending eyes. What could she possibly know about writing greeting cards? She’s six years old. What they failed to consider was that I had already received five years worth of birthday cards, a card congratulating me for graduating kindergarten, and one wishing me a speedy recovery from the flu. I was just as familiar with the craft as anyone else was. “Are you sure you don’t just want to be a writer?” my teachers would question. “Maybe you could write for newspapers or movies!” Just because they were uncertain about their careers and futures didn’t mean I should be. There is a glaring issue within the greeting card business: not enough variety. It’s all the same. Happy birthday, thank
you, congratulations, happy holidays. It gets repetitive. There are so many specific issues and obstacles individuals face that should be consoled with a greeting card. It’s a good thing my middle name is “Not Repetitive.” This is a card I mocked up for a company. How many women do you know that have lost their astronaut husbands to the depth of space right after discussing a potential divorce? The company I pitched this for said they knew none. Not one. Zero. But that’s not the point. The point is one day there could be a woman who is in this exact situation. What card are people supposed to give her then? A condolences card? A woman just lost her husband in the vacuum of space and you’re going to get her a card that says, “Sorry for your loss.” That is lazy. It is unthoughtful. I was escorted off that company’s premises. Not because they did not like my idea, which they didn’t, but because of the scene I made. After that incident, no one purchased me a card that said, “Sorry, your greeting card pitch went so poorly that you had to spend the night in county jail.” They didn’t purchase me one because that card doesn’t exist. It was from that moment that I knew I was meant to write greeting cards. Creativity is dead. Let’s welcome the resurgence. Art • 55
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Written By Taina Millsap
Art by James Trailie
IF YOU COULD LIVE AMONG THE STARS
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f James Trailie could live anywhere other than planet Earth, it would be Enceladus, Saturn’s sixth largest moon. Luckily, his job creating animation and visualizations for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center allows him to combine his imagination with his passion for outer space. Outside of his job with NASA, the Princeton University graduate’s freelance work pushes boundaries on a different level: he creates dreamscapes that have people on social media wishing they could book a next-day flight to the imaginary destinations. “A lot of the research that I do for the missions on NASA inspires my own projects, like the dreamscapes I do, thinking of these utopian futures or places,” says Trailie. “They exist in this boundary between the real and the surreal, because oftentimes it feels like science fiction, when I’m doing my research here for NASA. It’s kind of incredible to think of all that’s possible with technology, all the exploration that we’re able to do and all that lies out there yet to be discovered. So maybe some of these places that I design could be real places that we will eventually come across or construct in a distant future.” Both his job with NASA and his freelance work challenge him daily. New technology and software force Trailie to keep an open mind to learning about new possibilities. His next goal is to start creating more interactive work: VR experiences.
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“Some of the stuff I’m actually doing for work right now is in VR, so I’m learning kind of how to do that there,” says Trailie. “And then I can apply that to some of my own personal projects too.” One of Trailie’s favorite projects for NASA is his recent cartoon series for the Lucy mission, the first to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids, which launched out of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 16, 2021. The six-episode series touches on the science and engineering of the mission through playful animation. “It’s inspired by the art style of “The Jetsons,” that retro futuristic look,” says Trailie. “It’s designed to inspire the next generation of scientists who are growing up alongside this mission for the next twelve years. It was a really fun experience for me to distill the science and engineering into this playful experience for the viewer and kind of get that next generation inspired by science.” Trailie is now working on the Dragonfly mission: a quadcopter, a type of drone helicopter with four motors, will be sent to the moon Titan in the search for signs of life. “It’s kind of incredible to see behind the scenes, working with these scientists and engineers on a daily basis who are deeply involved in the mission design and exploration,” says Trailie. “I’m always learning about this stuff, and then I get to be the translator of the jargon into cool, engaging pieces for the public. It’s really amazing to be that boundary between the scientists and the public.”
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THE FLOWER BOXES OUTSIDE MY APARTMENT WINDOW • VINTAGE RI • CONCERTS • THE DOGS THAT GO FOR WALKS DOWN MY BLOCK EVE THE PARK STREET T STOP • THE FALL DECORATIONS IN BEACON HIL BRACELETS • CONSTELLATIONS • FOOTPRINTS • POP ROCKS • NEON • LONG CHOPSTICKS • PEANUT BUTTER • THOSE PLASTIC PUMPKINS GATHERING DUST • ITOEN HOJICHA (2 LITER) • THE WALK FROM THE OPTEKA REMOVABLE FISHEYE LENS • FUN FESTIVAL DRINKS THAT A THE FRUITS THAT I BOUGHT WHEN I WAS IN THE MOOD FOR THEM AN • THE SMALL DECORATIVE RICE BOWL THAT I PURCHASED IN H-MART RESALE MARKET OF DECORATIVE FONTS TO DESIGN WITH • IRON CL VALUE OF THE MOON LANDING SET • DECORATIVE ELECTRICAL OUT • SEE THROUGH LACE • YERBA MATE (REPRISAL) • THE INTERSECTIO OF INDISCERNIBLE CAUSES • PROBLEMS THAT HAVE A TACTILE SOLU MEMORY THAT I HAVE SITTING ON THE HILL WITH YOU ALL THOSE YEA DESKS • UNEXPECTED PET PHOTOS • SILKEN RAW TOFU • ACTS OF (FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE) • FLOATING RECEIPTS THAT SERVE O TEN DOLLARS • THE FACT THAT TOTE BAGS ARE SIMPLY THE MOST BECAUSE AT THIS POINT IT’S APART REALLY REALLY STILL AND LOOK UP YOU CAN FEEL THE SKY BREATHING THE TOPSFIELD FAIR • SHEEP WOOL TEXTS I LOVE • HAWAII AT NIGHT • OF SOMEONE/SOMETHING • WHEN I’M NOT ANXIOUS • PESTO PASTA• DINER DATES • NIGHTS IN WITH FR GALLERIES • WOOD PRINTS • SOFT CLAY • THE GLOW IN THE DARK REMAINED THROUGH ADULTHOOD AS A QUIET REMINDER OF PERMAN UP BASEBALL HATS • THE MIDDLE GROUND THAT FLANNEL HOLDS B ON FILM • GOLD LAMPS • WHITE BUTTON DOWNS • A REAL AMERICA MILK TEA BOBA WITH OREO COOKIES AND PUFF CREAM • BALLOON THE COLOR GREEN • 5 P.M ON A SUNDAY • TATER TOTS AND SOUR C OLIVIA RODRIGO • DJANGO • KIWI • LION’S DEN SUSHI • THERA BAN • MOONLIGHT REFLECTED ON LEAVES • THOUGHTFUL SILENCE • TH IN THE RAIN • CHRISTMAS FEELS • BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS • UN THAT DRAWS YOU IN • CINNAMON ROLLS • EMERSON DANCE COMP FELT ANIMALS • FRESH MANICURE • TINY GLASS TRINKETS • FIND UNDER THE FULL MOON • HARD CIDERS • FRESH INK • RING POP ENG YOU AS MUCH HOT SAUCE AS YOU WANT WITHOUT QUESTIONS • U THE CIVILIZATIONS THEY MAY HAVE CREATED • CREAM CHEESE BR • THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON • FRUITS AND GRAINS • COSTCO CH PHONE CHARMS • REPLAYING MEMORIES BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP ON SATURN’S RINGS • F’REAL MILKSHAKES • MAKING TOO MUCH FO 60 • Art CAT • FUTBOL • LINEN SCENTED CANDLES • LATEX BODYSUITS • BAG
INGS • VINYL RECORDS • CONSTELLATIONS • AUTUMN AFTERNOONS ERY MORNING • LATTES ON THE WAY TO CLASS • THE CHALK ART ON LL FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES • MUD PIES • SHINY ROCKS • GOLD N PURPLE LIGHTS • VELVET • THE REFLECTION OF STARS ON A LAKE S TAKEN FROM CLASSROOM 503 THAT NOW SIT ON MY WINDOWSILL TRAIN IN WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED EVERY SINGLE EMOTION ON • ADD A LITTLE BIT OF UNPREDICTABILITY TO MY MORNING ROUTINE • ND NOW SIT IN MY FRIDGE ROTTING • KRISTEN STEWART IN SPENCER • MARIA’S TAQUERIA • WHITE MASCARA • OUTER GLOW • THE ONLINE LAD PROMISES • THE UNPREDICTABILE NATURE • THE PRODUCTION TLETS • THE INTERIOR DESIGNWORK OF A CATHOLIC GRANDMOTHER ON BETWEEN WISHFUL THINKING AND REALITY • STOMACH CRAMPS UTION • SONGS THAT REMIND ME OF SPECIFIC PEOPLE • THAT CORE ARS AGO WATCHING THE METEOR SHOWER PASS OVER US • CLUTTERED F SERVICE • PERSONALITIES THAT REVEAL THEMSELVES OVER TIME ONLY AS A REMINDER OF THE FACT THAT YES, THAT BURRITO WAS USELESS FORM OF BAG BUT I INSIST ON CARRYING THEM AROUND OF MY PERSONALITY • HOW IF YOU SIT AT THE STARS BLINKING IN AND OUT, • HAM AND CHEESE CROISSANTS • • OLD PHOTOGRAPHS • CAPTIONS OF LIL DRAWINGS THAT MAKE ME THINK THE UNIVERSE ALIGNS • MOMENTS RIENDS • FEELING LIKE I ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING • HOME • QUIET STARS THAT I STUCK TO MY CEILING AS A LITTLE KIDS AND HAVE NENT IMPERMANENCE OF CHILDHOOD • CHICKEN QUESADILLAS • BEAT BETWEEN FATHERS AND THEIR GAY CHILDREN • 90S SUPERMODELS AN ROADTRIP • HELLO KITTY STICKERS • KIT KATS ON PANCAKES • NS • BIG SWEATERS • 60 DEGREE WEATHER • DANCING • MY ROOM • CREAM • MANICURES • TRAMP STAMP • MAX BELL • ELOISA’S ROBE • NDS • PERFORMING ART • LAVENDER HAND CREAM • VANILLA LATTE HE ELUSIVE HAPPY FACE SPIDER • FEELING SMALL • STREET LIGHTS NFORESEEN GENEROSITY • WHEN FISH YAWN • SAD MUSIC • A BOOK PANY • OAT MILK • MY HAIRDRYER • BITING INTO A HONEY COMB • DING CASH IN YOUR POCKET • SHOOTING STARS • SKINNY DIPPING GAGEMENT • EGGS ON TOAST •THE FACT THAT TACO BELL WILL GIVE UNDISCOVERED PLANETS • DAY DREAMING OF ALIEN WORLDS AND RAIN • ZERO GRAVITY SEX (HOW DOES IT WORK?) • MOOD BOARDS HRISTMAS ITEMS • BAKED BRIE • DEAD ROSES • PUFFY STICKERS • P • AMC THEATERS • RIPPED FISHNETS • THE THOUGHT OF SLIDING OOD THAN YOU CAN EAT • ALFAJORES • TWERKING • TISSUES Art • •DOJA 61 GEL WITH BUTTER • PITTER PATTER OF DOGS ON THE WOODEN FLOOR
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