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EDITOR’S NOTE First and foremost, thank you to all the creatives that submitted their artwork to this edition of Arts & Lit! This issue would not have been possible without the contributions from the students of CSUN. 2019 marks the end of a decade in which a whole generation took hold of digital platforms and made it their own. We share the best moments of our lives with friends and family, we network by exchanging social media profiles, and keep a constant communication in spite of the physical distance between us. For artists, it has become a tool to extend our creativeselves. Art in the Digital Age is evolving. It no longer manifests in the physical realm but also in the virtual worlds we are creating. We are “the accoucheurs of the new,” as Russian poet Andrei Voznesenky
wrote in his poem “The Artist.” In other words, artists assist in the birth of every innovation presented to humanity. The “new” may come in all sorts of forms, including technological developments. It is in our nature to embrace these platforms and engage with them the only way we know how to: creatively. We preserve and defy the traditions of our muses. We create stories and share our thoughts through our art and we present them in new mediums. All of the works in this issue relate to the theme of the Digital world, whether because they were self-published on Tumblr or Instagram, or because they comment on this challenging era. Given that artists treat their profiles as their portfolios, don’t be shy to connect with some of them and check out more of their work!
IVAN SALINAS, A&E EDITOR
WAITING FOR THE BAR TO OPEN IVAN SALINAS
@ivansali_
English Creative Writing, Junior “Waiting for the Bar to Open” is a digital photo-poem meant to be shared primarily on Instagram. The combination of text and photos in the Story Highlights feature allows me to create a cohesive body of work that people can experience when they visit my profile. I use the hashtag #creativenonfiction to label the literary genre of my work.
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ANE@CSUN.EDU
CELLPHONE DYLAN CAMPBELL English, Graduate Student One page comic about not being as available as you think you are.
SUNDIAL ยบ NOVEMBER 25 - December 3, 2019
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AKUA ABEDI-BOAFO
@akuaa_
Greer Nelson
@_gruyere
Theatre, Junior
Journalism, Junior
Moving from London to Los Angeles, it was different for me seeing the many views that some African Americans I had met held on other people in the black community. It inspired me to write this, as it was Black history month in London so I decided to write a poem every week for the month on the theme of blackness, to bring awareness of truths, to correct wrongs and to empower.
I pulled three of my favorite things I have written, all after the loss of my father. The first explaining my childhood of watching my mom and dad do long distance from across the world. The second from the day he passed and the feeling of a last hug. The last from the feeling of loosing someone, :) hope you enjoy!
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ANE@CSUN.EDU
I HOPE TO GROW WITH YOU NATALIE MIRANDA
@natalierosemirandaphotography
Journalism, Junior The poem is an open letter to my father. It was inspired by a photography project that reflected on my family history. The photo illustration was modeled after a childhood photograph of my father and I. He moved to Texas about 15 years ago. This photo is representative of family ties and the distance that exists within a father-daughter relationship. The transparency evident in the photo is a depiction of my absent father and is symbolic of how much I’ve missed him. And although we have stayed in contact since he left, I now acknowledge that I was hurt by his departure more than I have openly admitted to myself and others. I created this photo illustration and poem with the intention of opening myself to grow. Hopefully, closer to someone who I want in my life.
I could never stop you from leaving. Even if I formed the words, I don’t think you would’ve stayed. I wasn’t enough for you to take a pause, to reconsider or delay the thought. You were gone before you even parted. When you left, I didn’t even know how long you’d be away, but I missed you all the days you didn’t stay. You hardly said goodbye or maybe that goodbye could never be enough. I never wanted you to be absent. I wonder how much I was thought of. My heart was broken long before adulthood. It’s a wound that has yet to heal. A father-daughter relationship that has always left me avoiding how I feel. Time has created callouses on the patches that hold me tethered, but sometimes they fall off and I have to stitch myself back together. When you visit, I tell myself that I’m fine. But when you leave again there’s no pretending, I feel my heart take a different shape every time I feel it ending.
DUSTFINGER
I missed out on a relationship that was meant to last a lifetime.
EWAN MCNEIL
I miss the years that have gotten away from us, and I miss the memories that never took place. But most of all, I miss the years that you’ll fail to stay, because you’re not mine to keep.
@ewan.film
Film Production, Sophomore
You built a new family that you now call your home, so I only borrow your time when you have some left over to loan. I want you in my life, more than you’ll ever know. I appreciate the time you give, but the time I get is paper thin. I often feel the same way I felt as a child when you were gone, because I have a placeholder in my life for you that I will always cling on. I wrote this poem, not because I resent you, but because I feel as though I need to open myself up to grow – with or without you.
The digital age opens new opportunities for photography. Imagination and fantasies come to life with new abilities to digitally manipulate photographs. This opportunity to create photo-realistic fantastical scenes fascinated me. This photo is from a series I worked on a few years ago inspired by visual effects in cinema. I created it in photoshop. The fire was composed of three separate photographs that I superimposed onto this portrait of my model, Eric. The glow on the hands and face was added after to blend the assets together and create the realistic look.
SUNDIAL
NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 3 , 2019
I forgive you and the decisions you’ve made. I’ve come to terms that people don’t always stay. I only hope you know, I want you to be happy. My love for you is cup runneth over-flowing.
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UNNOTICED ORDINARY ELAINE SANDERS
@elaine_sanders
Art, Sophomore Take a moment to appreciate the simple beauty that is hidden in plain sight. Each one of these photos is a backdrop in our lives that is so often overlooked, but when you stop and take a moment to think about the stories behind these walls the possibilities are endless. Think about the two apartment balconies that are so close in proximity yet would be miles different if we were to take away the walls and peek inside the apartments they stand in front of. Think about a skyscraper, filled with rooms which all house different people who all have unique stories and interests. All of these artificial built structures which are filled with small human memories. These nine photos are a part of an ongoing series, some of which can be found on my instagram.
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ANE@CSUN.EDU
SWANA SARAH SHABBAR
@sshabbar
Mass Communications, Graduate Student SWANA (Southwest Asian and North Afrikan - it is a way to distinguish the region in geographical terms, rather than “political terms” as defined by the Western world, ex: Middle East.) Khalto - Arabic word for aunt Zaatar - A SWANA mixture of herbs and spices, typically containing thyme and oregano. Dishdasha - A long white robe typically worn by SWANA men. Masba7a - pronounced as masbaha (7 resembles the ha sound in arabic when written). 99 beads used for prayer.
SUNDIAL
NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 3, 2019
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SHIRLEY RAMOS @shirley.vr84 Art, Junior On the blog, it’s a slideshow of a trip to Sonoma and San Fransisco. Mostly scenery photos. The photo I submitted is my favorite one.
CAIRN WRAITH & IRON DRAGON HOUSTON SIRACUSA
@guardianofthelost
English Creative Writing, Senior
This is a miniature that I painted for Dungeons and Dragons of a Hive Colossus. I experimented with a variety of colors and several techniques to get the desired effect of such a creature; sinewy muscle underneath a solid set of chitin, and blood and venom coating its sharp pincers.
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This is an Iron Dragon that I painted for Dungeons and Dragons. While not a traditional metallic dragon, the Iron Dragon is a non-canon creation. I got to experiment with using a rust effect on his body and wings while also experimenting with color blends on the base.
ANE@CSUN.EDU
SUNDIAL
NOVEMBER 25 - DECEMBER 3, 2019
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MARIAH WILLIAMS
@mariahcw95
Screenwriting, Senior
EMT EDUCATION FOR THE BEST
APPLY ONLINE NOW: www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/emt UCLA CENTER FOR PREHOSPITAL CARE: (310) 267-5959 10
ANE@CSUN.EDU
WORDPLAY DENOMINATOR EMILY JUNE HEISLEY @collagedropoutcollective Psychology, Senior I often think about words, and common denominators, and wordplay. This was an amalgam of all those and a nod to the algorithm and our digital lives.
VRITRA sundial sunset sessions presents
live recording
THURSDAY 12/5 4:00 PM
Join us at MZ
140 for a live performance by Vritra. doors closing at 5:00 PM. Featuring a DJ set by LATE.
SUNDIAL NOVEMBER 20 - 24, 2019
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GLACIER POINT
AEVREY BALIN, ADINA GHOLIAN
@aperturecapturer
Philosophy, Senior This long-exposure photograph was taken this past summer on the road leading up to one of Yosemite National Park's main attractions: Glacier Point. To get the light streaks, I adjusted my camera settings to take in light for the amount of time needed to drive around the curve. After 30 seconds, this was the result. Then I cropped and edited it in Adobe Lightroom. This photograph would not have been possible without the help of my girlfriend, Adina Gholian (also a CSUN student), who took the photo while I drove.
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ANE@CSUN.EDU