FORM VOL. XX by FORM Magazine

FORM A Space for Ideas, Culture, and Aesthetics

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Works of art cannot be ideas or reality as such. They are ambivalent things that exist between ideas and reality, subject to both and influencing them in turn.â&#x20AC;? - Lee Ufan

Editor’s Letter This issue represents another landmark in FORM’s history. Our last issue was mostly about reinventing and reimagining the publication’s feel and purpose – a process of actively carving out a space for ideas, culture and aesthetics. Volume XX follows in the same path but embraces the publication’s new direction in an unapologetic manner. We have also continued to champion introspection and intentional living as worthwhile values for our readers, particularly through experience-led writing, fine photography and engaging interviews with likeminded creative professionals. In this issue, each of the three sections has been ascribed broad, stimulating themes. The art & design section is a love letter to the subtle beauty of modern architecture and design. We start off with a transcontinental visual essay on the modernist-informed buildings of Berlin and Mexico City and then narrate the story of Black Mountain College, a New World analogue of the Bauhaus School. Thereafter, through contemplative poetry and captivating film photography, readers are able to meditate on the role of light in realising the allure of urban, functional buildings. These pieces thus constitute a dialogue with modernist architecture and design that is simultaneously geographic, photographic and historic.

Furthermore, our style section incorporates a more experimental sensibility both in terms of the photography and styling choices. Each of the editorials responds to the words of fashion theorist, Phillip Warkander, who said, “All fashion design is about a quite basic but nevertheless constant need to investigate, and subsequently reinvent, the limitations of the human body”. These editorials thus examine the relationship of the image to the body either by juxtaposing it with natural objects or fragmenting it through collage. Lastly, our travel and culture pieces inform the reader of unique experiences that lie beyond the bounds of central Durham. The section includes a feature of Brewery Bhavana, a multifunctional lifestyle space in Raleigh, and explores the up-and-coming town that is Carrboro through a curated travel guide. We also sit down with Earthseed collective to discuss land ownership and environmental justice. All in all, we hope that our readers will find in this issue a new FORM that has fully come into itself. The team has strived to produce content that appeals both to the culturally informed reader and to the curious, reflective mind. As graduation becomes an imminent reality, I look to other members of the creative community to continue to promote the publication’s ideals and values. Yours truly, Kojo Abudu

EDITORS IN CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTORS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Kojo Abudu Cassidy von Seggern Elizabeth Lim Brian Lin William Bernell

DIRECTOR OF ART & DESIGN

Tommaso Babucci

DIRECTOR OF STYLE

Christina Tribull

DIRECTORS OF TRAVEL & CULTURE DIRECTOR OF LAYOUT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS ART & DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS Katherine Ahn Justin Báez Doha Ali Gea Bozzi Bryan Rusch Sofia Zymnis LAYOUT CONTRIBUTORS Gillian Card Nia El-Amin Claire Gibbs Annie Kornack Julia Marshall Savannah Norman Blaire Zhang COMMUNICATIONS Stephanie Cutler Irene Zhou

Sonia Fillipow Joseph Kim Kelly McLaughlin Gianna Miller STYLE CONTRIBUTORS Cristina M. García Ayala Elliott Golden Margot Hasty Carolina Herrera Rae Hsu Jennifer Li Olivia Ratliff Jared Wong Allison Wu Hannah Yehudah Jean Yenbamroong Lizzie Zelter TRAVEL & CULTURE CONTRIBUTORS Claire Alexandre Advaitha Anne Blythe Davis Angela Griffe

Table of Contents ART & DESIGN Berlin & Mexico City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Black Mountain.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Lumière. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Στο Χέρι · By Hand · A Mano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 STYLE Natural Intrigue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Vert & Vogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Either/Or. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 TRAVEL & CULTURE Brewery Bhavana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Earthseed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Carrboro, NC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Transient. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

FORM

Art & Design

MEX ICO CITY Art & Design

PHOTOGRAPHY Tommaso Babucci WRITING Gea Bozzi 10

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

BER LIN 11

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

Modernist Architecture in Transcontinental Dialogue

Nowhere in the world are the results of architectural revolution more evident than in Berlin and Mexico City. Through a mix of political, military, economic, and social factors, both cities have witnessed dramatic changes in their landscape. The 20th century was a time period during which Berlin and Mexico City struggled to choose how to look forward without letting go of their pasts. They longed to reconnect to their respective classical and indigenous histories, while still craving the modern. Today, both cities have utilized the principles of modern design, which emphasises simple forms, geometric shapes and clean lines. Nevertheless, while Mexico City succeeded in synthesising indigenous and modern influences in its architecture, Berlin struggled to create a stable, widely admired, and uniquely German, modern style.

man means “construction house,” was born out of post-war sentiment, European modernism, and the aesthetic movements of the time. The school aimed to unify creativity and manufacturing and hoped to reimagine the buildings of the future. The Bauhaus also produced avant-garde art and aimed to create goods that would benefit a modern consumer society made up by the masses. The establishment relocated from Weimar to Dessau and eventually to Berlin in 1932, operating until its closure the following year due to Nazi persecution. However, driving the Bauhaus out of Germany helped disseminate its ideas around the globe. During the Nazi rule of Germany, structures were erected in brick and mortar to show the stability of the regime and the strength of a nation that had just experienced a humiliating defeat. State intervention in the market lead to the seizure of land, and in their place, large-scale, classicist government buildings were constructed. However, World War II had devastating impacts on the nation’s architectural heritage, and larger cities, including Berlin, were demolished by continuous bombardments from the Allied powers. Following the war, the nation set out to rebuild. New structures were erected in a simple modernist style that emphasized functionality. While efforts differed between East and West Germany, both regions took this time as a moment to redefine their respective architectural styles. The new style departed from Nazi Architecture, a variant of neoclassicism, and instead attempted to align itself with the International Style - an architectural movement characterized by a lack of ornamentation and color, the use of industrial materials, the repetition of forms, and an emphasis on shared, social spaces.

Berlin’s architecture has witnessed the rise and fall of many styles, from Romanesque to Modern, with various governments and political circumstances leaving their distinct marks on the city’s landscape. Architectural reform took hold of Germany towards the middle of the 20th century. Quicker than anywhere else in Europe, Germany swept away embellished historicism and welcomed avant-garde buildings. The novel architecture was a reaction to the new emphasis on mass culture and industrial production, two social phenomena that had an emerging audience: the people. Architects moved toward abstraction in order to connect with this awakening public. In 1919 Walter Gropius, one of the founders of the modernist movement, established an architecture, design, and art school known as the Bauhaus. Bauhaus, which in Ger-

They longed to reconnect to their respective classical and indigenous histories, while still craving the modern.

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

A leading figure of the International Style, Le Corbusier, a Swiss-French architect, designer, and artist, was one of the instigators of the modernist movement. He championed combining architecture with an industrial knowledge, and he embraced modern materials, mass productions and modern technology. At the same time, his architecture advocated the use of light and flat surfaces and the creation of visual unity. He stated that “modern architecture has no decoration,” and he created five points to serve as the fundamental principles of this new aesthetic: ground level piers to create gardens below, a functional roof that would serve as both a garden and terrace, an open floor plan unobstructed by load bearing walls, extensive horizontal windows that circulate air and light, and free façades. These conventions of merging the interior with the exterior and creating open interior plans were analogues to the post-war attitude in Europe of embracing the openness of liberal democracy. The open plan was a way of breaking down formal social barriers while placing a new emphasis on the efficiency of how space was utilized. Berlin’s architecture and urban design once again experienced major developments during the 1960s. Construction was underway throughout the country, and it was a time of profuse experimentation with grid plans, concrete facades, and glass. Innumerable housing developments were erected, as architects in both East and West Germany attempted to provide citizens with fast, affordable residences. They turned to mass produced steel and concrete, as these materials were quick and economically appealing. The city began to take on a new look, as these monotonous, austere housing structures dotted the landscape. Many of these buildings were later demolished due to their unattractive size, their bleak and harsh forms, or their poor building construction. There was a great deal of backlash from the population during the construction of these edifices, and only recently does it appear that Berlin has come to terms with its architectural past. While many argue that these modernist structures destroyed the unified appearance of the city, others contend that their functional style actually created a more open space. Such post-war modern structures stand in stark contrast to their more colorful, ornate and expensive pre-war predecessors. With the closure of the Bauhaus in Berlin and Nazi occupation of Paris, European architects started to migrate across the globe. They flocked to Tel Aviv, Brazil, and Mexico City, and as a result, the use of abstract geometric forms that were distinguishably “Berlin” became part of other cities.

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

What once began as a city of temples and pyramids, Mexico City eventually became a nucleus for Modern architecture. With Spanish rule beginning in the early 16th century, countless indigenous structures were abandoned, while others were torn down, their ruins and stones utilized to build the colonial capital. Churches and monasteries were erected in the Baroque style, and it was not until 1810, with the end of the colonial period in Mexico, that the architecture began to take on a neo-classic form. This style of architecture was used until 1917, when the Mexican Revolution redefined the country’s outlook and ideology. Mexico took on a new identity, embracing an authentic persona, free from its Colonial history and definition. With the end of the Mexican Revolution in 1917, modern Mexico was born, philosophically, politically, and ultimately architecturally. During the political turbulence of the 19th and 20th centuries, traditional Mexican hospitals and churches were demolished. Mexico yearned to unearth its identity, and in the following years it increased its efforts to restore the old baroque, while simultaneously, nationalist sentiments pushed to cover façades with pre-Cortesian indigenous sculptures.

The open plan was a way of breaking down formal social barriers while placing a new emphasis on the

After visiting Le Corbusier in the 1930s, Barragán, one of the most influential Mexican architects and engineers, began to draw from elements of European modernism, evident from his meticulous attention to geometry and light. However, instead of merely imitating the Modern style, Barragán reconciled Le Corbusier’s vision with the Spanish colonial tradition, generating a modernist architecture that was unique and adjusted to its environment. Barragán softened the minimalist, rectilinear appearance of the International Style by adding warm hues and integrating patterns related to his Mexican heritage. He played with light and shadows to blend interior and exterior spaces and also created forms that connected to the region’s natural surroundings. He ultimately came to reject Le Corbusier’s notion that homes are “machines for living,” believing that form must not always follow function and instead supporting the integration of beauty and serenity into external spaces. Through his work, Barragán devised a version of European minimalist modernism that was rooted in a Mexican vernacular

efficiency of how space was utilized.

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

Art & Design

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

Art & Design

Simultaneously, architects Juan O’Gorman and Ricardo Legorreta, pupils of José Villagrán - another pioneer of Mexican Modernist architecture - began to build across Mexico City. O’Gorman was one of the earliest architects to realize the Modern style, building the first truly functional houses in Mexico with his personal savings. This pared back architecture aimed to create buildings that lacked unnecessary ornaments and only incorporated elements necessary to construction. Legorreta made similar changes when he created the first workers’ housing development and was later appointed to the Department of Architecture. Following his appointment, government construction began to take on a more functional approach, facilitating the spread of this style across the city. After some time, however, both Legorreta and O’Gorman came to reject pure functionality, instead embracing the synthesis of modern structural designs with indigenous Mexican motifs.

What differentiates Modernist Mexican architecture from the International Style, evident in Berlin, is the fact that architects such as O’Gorman, Barragán, and Legorreta erected structures that were identifiably modern in their simplicity, but that still preserved a Mexican architectural distinction. In contrast, Berlin’s new architecture emerged out of a search for separation and rejection of history and a need to build as quickly and efficiently as possible. Structures were harsh, angular and austere, and the design was driven by the economic and political circumstances that resulted from the end of World War II. The concepts and values of the Bauhaus in Berlin, such as functionality, radically simplified forms, and mass production, circulated around the globe. Similarly, the Casa Luis Barragán, which is the former home of the architect, has now turned into a museum that displays Barragán’s works and serves as a studio for visiting architects. Barragán’s signature aesthetic of warmer, more emotional versions of modern architecture continues to be present throughout Mexico and Mexico City.

Modern Mexican architecture is also fond of integrating local art within its structures. The campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), was designed by some of the most prominent Mexican architects of the 20th century and integrates the art of Mexican muralists into its architecture. Murals by esteemed artists such as Diego Rivera and Juan O’Gorman line the walls of the main campus, and in 2007 UNESCO declared UNAM a World Heritage Site. The murals usually contain patterns and images representative of Mexico’s indigenous architecture, reconciling the modern with the historical.

Moving within and around spaces, we learn from these cities that architecture is not a passive art form and in turn defines one’s spatial reality. It reflects a country’s socio-historical experience, expressing its political and cultural revolutions through multiple combinations of stone, glass and concrete. Thus, one finds that architecture is most successful when it is able to unite physical forms with a society’s unique culture and history. In the process, architecture reaffirms a society’s collective identity.

MEXICO CITY & BERLIN

Art & Design

black mountain WRITING Bryan Rusch

BLACK MOUNTAIN

“a place of discovery – of oneself, one’s place in the world, and one’s inherent powers and possibilities.”

Art & Design

Black Mountain College was founded by an exodus of disgruntled students and teachers from colleges in the Southern United States under the leadership of John Andrew Rice, converging upon the mountains of North Carolina in 1933. Their goal was to create the first true liberal arts school, not intending to prepare students for a particular career or field of research, but instead designing a place of discovery – of oneself, one’s place in the world, and one’s inherent powers and possibilities. For over 20 years, students and faculty worked together to make their mark on the world and higher education. Their struggle was not just one of mental jousting in ivory towers in the sky, but a physical journey, as the school acquired land on a lake at the base of a mountain where students and faculty designed and constructed every building, and constantly tended the farms that supplied their food. The college’s unconventional structure, not lending itself to outside investment and donations, created sustained financial strain, eventually leading to its closure in 1957. But this inherent poverty became a part of the curriculum, built into the student’s communal spirit, where all had to lend a hand to achieve success. Living became an art, and every chore took on a new meaning of sustaining the college, as students and faculty created and sustained the institution.

promoted. The college believed that to understand the artistic process fully was to comprehend the science of the mediums used and the nature of the subjects of one’s work. Similarly, to understand the sciences was to appreciate the more abstract concepts of beauty and the process of creation inherent in the subject. Graduation was only merited when a student believed that they fully understood these intersections and had completely mastered the art of shaping the world around them. Only some students went on to claim the honorary certificate; few wanted to accept that their time at the school had ended, and fewer still accepted the idea that those concepts could be mastered. The college was founded in and functioned through a time of turmoil for both the country and the world. Yet in the pristine nature of the Carolinas, one found a community that fostered individualistic communalism. Identities were celebrated and understood while all had to contribute equally and live socially. All who entered the space initiated a dialogue with both their past and their future, questioning their role in the world and the impact the school would have on their life. Each new perspective added to the mosaic, and the school often sought out teachers of unique backgrounds.

Black Mountain College pioneered in the Americas a global movement of a philosophy of education that focused on lifestyle and creation based learning. The founders strove for students to understand the power and responsibility that comes with shaping the world around oneself. Through the study of the arts and sciences, students gained an intuitive sense of physical creation, and the ways in which it could be used. Students could enroll for as long as they deemed fit, and faculty had no contracts, creating a fluid population, that stayed by will alone, while maintaining the institute’s experimental culture throughout its operation. Classes were open to both students and faculty, and cross-disciplinary interaction was

Of those who founded the school, none would have as large of an impact on the direction and philosophy as Josef Albers. Having fled Germany with the closing of Bauhaus and the rise of the Nazi Party, he became the figurehead of the college once John Andrew Rice left shortly after its founding. Though far different from the institution he came from, Albers was able to make Black Mountain a spiritual successor to the Bauhaus, carrying on its alternative education philosophies. During his tenure, he had only one requirement of students, his own class, Vorkurs, which he had adapted from Bauhaus, and

BLACK MOUNTAIN

Art & Design

which focused on synthesizing the manipulation and placement of textures and materials. Due to the lack of resources, he often relied solely on paper â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cheap and obtainable â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which he would alter and mould into grand works of art. Under his watch, several notable figures were invited to the college, including Albert Einstein, who briefly graced the campus as a teacher. Buckminster Fuller was another reputable engineer of the time who was a constant contributor. The innovative designer found the opportunity at Black Mountain to work on more experimental architecture projects, like his Geodesic-Dome House, which, once perfected, sparked a structural movement across the Americas. A social landmark moment for the school was the inclusion of Jacob Lawrence in the faculty in 1946. Since its inception, the school had strived to be racially inclusive, but had never attracted enough Black students due to its location in the South. Lawrence even admitted that he refused to step foot outside the campus, fearing what lay outside. But after his involvement, the school began to receive many more Black students, and was one of the first fully integrated schools in the South. Lawrence had already been an acclaimed artist in the African-American community by the early forties, and Albers had personally invited him to teach as the leader of a growing artistic movement. Lawrence had been born during the Great Migration North following WWI, and had always been surrounded by a strong, Black artistic community.

BLACK MOUNTAIN

His works portrayed abstracted Black figures, depicting their struggles and historical movements in the Americas in an epic narrative. His style began to take a turn after observing Albersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, with the creation of more two-dimensional works focusing on the interaction of form and color. These works gave rise to a sense of movement and incorporated a storytelling sensibility. Although this was Lawrenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first experience as an educator, he would continue for 30 more years at various other institutions, all the while producing pieces that made headway in chronicling the Black experience. Lawrence would later consider himself more of a chronicler and teacher than an artist. During the same period, John Cage joined the staff of Black Mountain College as a music instructor. He became known as a fiery teacher and an experimental pianist who challenged conventional structures and tried to apply them to their fullest. In 1952, Cage was inspired to gather the most promising faculty and students in several fields to put on what would later be referred to as performance art, his Theater Piece No. 1. Using the Dining Hall, which often hosted singular art exhibitions, Cage organized every aspect of the experience. Charles Olsen and M.C. Richards would read poetry atop ladders, while Robert Rauschenberg played records next to his displayed paintings. David Tudor played the piano in the corner, and Merce Cunningham danced through the crowd as he was followed by a dog. In the center of the whirlwind was Cage, directing and lecturing on Buddhism, while coffee was served by boys dressed in white costumes. The piece played with the interaction of music and sound within an evolving environment, while leaving the majority of the performance to chance and the whim of the participants. To be an observer was also an invitation to participate.

Art & Design

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We follow in the footsteps of the disillusioned and the dreamers who founded the transient paradise, reaping their rewards.â&#x20AC;?

BLACK MOUNTAIN

John Cage would go on to be one of the most recognizable names in modern music. In the same year, he composed his most famous piece, 4’33”, where the performers sit quiet for an extended four minutes and thirty-three seconds. The idea is that the piece becomes ambient noise, Cage having observed that in total silence, an internal soft hum and a steady heartbeat can be heard.

ly produced shapes and patterns that added a unique flare to their ouvre. Once again, the question of where boundaries could be drawn became contentious. And in Rauschenberg’s case, the question of ownership and artistry was raised, as the trash was not of Rauschenberg’s own making. Just as Cage’s works became a mirror for audiences to become self-aware and conscious of their surroundings and its inherent noise, Rauschenberg described his work as clocks, telling the viewer not of themselves, but of their environment, the weather, the political circumstances, or whatever other personal meaning one could see in its openness.

Cage had been exposed to these revolutionary concepts during his time at Black Mountain through one of the students who he collaborated with on Theater Piece No. 1, Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg was to become the leading visual artist of the mid-century, with one of his major artistic dialogues on the concept of ‘no’- simply the art of nothing. He questioned how to determine artistic effort, the boundaries of pieces, and the purpose of a piece’s meaning. He used what he called ‘monochrome no-image’ pieces to communicate his message, or lack thereof. His first venture into this style were his White Paintings, displayed during Cage’s performance art. These works were exactly their name, three white canvases painted white. While in his White Paintings, Rauschenberg merely posed a question, his most controversial work made a statement. In Erased De Kooning, he erased a handpicked De Kooning sketch over two months, until only a faint remembrance of what was once there could be seen. While seen as a philosophical successor of Marcel Duchamp, Rauschenberg’s philosophy was simultaneously inspired by his time at Black Mountain College, where everything – and nothing – could be seen as art simultaneously. At the college, every step of the artistic process, from production to presentation, was emphasized as a creative moment. Once a piece was finished, its life had only just begun.

The student who truly embraced Black Mountain’s philosophy walked away as a changed artist, one who strove to bring unarguable truths and stories to their audiences. Whether they told the stories of a trodden-over people, or attempted to break boundaries and structures to tell the audience of themselves, these students became agents for chronicling their era. And so it is with Black Mountain College now. It is a vehicle, a shell of its former self, from which we now look back on to find our definition of self. The school ended in 1957 due to financial pressures, yet its work is far from over. The artists who left its doors went on to shape their respective fields to this day, yet their impact is far from finished. The social conflicts the school strived to overcome over a half-century ago are still fights yet to be won. As a result of Black Mountain’s disappearance, other schools had to take up the banner, and in the process the college became a compass for future progress. Black Mountain redefined what it meant to go to college. All higher education today follows in the college’s footsteps, with its focus on self-discovery and self-awareness.

Another of Rauschenberg’s movements with clear beginnings at Black Mountain was his combined paintings, in which he embedded found pieces – trash from the sides of the road and other objects – within his paintings to create a truly unrepeatable work. During his years in school, he and his soon-to-be wife, Susan Weil, always chose trash duty as their daily chore for the school’s operation. During this time, they had the opportunity to find resources for their artwork, which led them to discover unnatural-

The school is now only open once a year, maintained by the Black Mountain College Museum for their annual ReVIEWING conference, filling the school with the works and performances of those who once walked its halls. We follow in the footsteps of the disillusioned and the dreamers who founded the transient paradise, reaping their rewards. But now, what will our generation’s next steps be on the journey that was started up the mountain?

“[I] wanted something other than what I could make myself and I wanted to use the surprise and the collectiveness and the generosity of finding surprises. And if it wasn’t a surprise at first, by the time I got through with it, it was. So the object itself was changed by its context and therefore it became a new thing.” -Robert Rauschenberg

Art & Design

Lumière PHOTOGRAPHY Justin Báez WRITING Margot Hasty

LUMIÃ&#x2C6;RE

Art & Design

The black line crosses the

e x p a n s

of white;

an indelible mark

on a blank stage:

This is all we were;

definite marks

on an i n f i n i t y.

LUMIĂ&#x2C6;RE

The streets flow; the dark sinews of humanity stretching across the skeleton of a white city. The cacophony of their noises, buzzing into a low lethargic drone. In between the chaotic flow, concealed between the pale bones of the city, lie those hidden spaces; the still pauses between the capitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heartbeats. The white noise of the city washes around these spaces, a distant reminder of the life spilling into the streets around it.

Art & Design

They exist out of time, suspended in their pale structures. The brutal concrete arches in elegant movement; rising into the sunlight. Shadows flicker, bend and stretch across the blank expanse; prints of the sun’s blindness. In this hour, time stretches like the long figures of the shadows, bleeding into infinity —into the blank expanse. Life hushes, quiet in the temples of stillness— you can hear it cry for the eternal.

LUMIÈRE

And so, your eyes shift to the street, half-shielded from the sun’s prying eyes as you try to drone out the sound of life, and in the reverie, gaze at the shadow stretching before you— painted by the sun’s long fingers.

What form do you paint before time? How long does your shadow stretch?

Art & Design

These are the places of secrets. The walls bear witness to the turmoil, the breaking, the love and the burning of hope. They stand like amphitheatres where people tread; entering and exiting like players on a stage, lit by the flare of the sun. How many centuries have they stood? How many stories have they seen played out? The shadows play brilliantly against the backs of the houses, the spines of the street.

LUMIĂ&#x2C6;RE

They cannot be seen in the darkness of the midnight hours.

For a time,

all that stands are the monuments of man,

shining in the moonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;his shadows

bl e d

into

the

oblivion d a

r k.

Art & Design

Στο Χέρι By Hand A Mano

ΣΤΟ ΧΕΡΙ · BY HAND · A MANO

From the moment one presses the shutter button to its first publication, a photograph is never touched. Digitized, these images are stored and altered until deemed ready for print. Thus, the artist never interacts with their photographs on a physical level. Editing is a process which shares many aspects with painting: creating light, bringing forward colors and contrasts, and creating the implicit shapes that the viewers’ eyes will follow. In this artistic project, the instantaneous power of Instax is used to redefine the possibilities of the medium of photography. Through the addition of matter - paint - editing is taken from the digital sphere into the physical realm. The first shoot is of a single individual in the woods. The busy setting isolates him as the sole subject, while robbing the image of any further descriptive ability. The first paint strokes are those of movement, creating interaction in the still. Next, the photos focus on single objects and simple settings on a two-dimensional plane. The line not only informs the dynamics, but also becomes a narrative force. Lines cross from one instant photograph to the next, and colors create the story within each frame. And finally, the base becomes totally abstract. Now, the strokes are the protagonist, the subject of the story, drawing the full attention of the viewer. By becoming a vessel for the paint, the instant photographs allow for the true representation of the subject.

MODEL Jacob Kowalick Allen PHOTOGRAPHY Tommaso Babucci & Sofia Zymnis WRITING Byran Rusch 45

Art & Design

ΣΤΟ ΧΕΡΙ · BY HAND · A MANO

Art & Design

ΣΤΟ ΧΕΡΙ · BY HAND · A MANO

FORM

Style

Natura l Int r igue

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

HAIR Katie Manselle MAKEUP Heather Barnett MODELS Lal Saran, Soraya Durand, & Tanya Riordan PHOTOGRAPHY Tommaso Babucci PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Katherine Ahn & Claire Alexandre

NATURAL INTRIGUE

Style

Vert & Vogue A Conversation with Ryan and Nadira Hurley

PHOTOGRAPHY Joseph Kim WRITING Christina Tribull

VERT & VOGUE

Style

For the past decade, Vert & Vogue has become a cornerstone of the downtown Durham retail scene, offering their style conscious clientele a selection of high-quality, sustainable pieces. The forward-thinking boutique has made a statement out of showcasing designers who prioritise natural fibers, durability and local production. As the store approaches its ten-year anniversary, FORM sits with owners Ryan and Nadira Hurley, to discuss their enduring partnership, the store’s journey and the future of style. We were pleased to discover that the owners’ thoughts were so entwined that they completed each other’s sentences.

Nadira: “Well, at least if you don’t want to go to a dinner, let’s have a drink.” And I said, “No.” “But, do you have a boyfriend?” No. “Will you come for lunch at least?” Okay, a lunch, lunch, okay. It’s beautiful, you know, everything, how you say, on paper, it was not working, Ryan and I, because we’re from different backgrounds. Different religions. He’s Catholic, I’m Muslim. Everything was just not working on paper.

Q: You two met in Paris in 2001. How did that happen?

Nadira: But it was so easy and smooth that less than a year after, we were married.

Ryan: Different languages, different cultures, different countries.

Nadira: I was working in a men’s shop in Paris. And after buying a whole wardrobe from me, he just asked me on a date. And, you know, I fell for Ryan. I came across his eyes and I fell for him. And I was like, that couldn’t be possible, that easy to fall in love. So I said, “No.”

Q: How do you divide responsibilities—who does what? Ryan: Nadira manages the front of the house, the floor, as we refer to it. And I do the same for the back of the house. She’s focused on the business of today—sales, service, merchandising—and I’m focused on growing the business of the future— through finance, HR, marketing, and e-commerce. And we make all the strategic and executive-level decisions together.

Ryan: I was living in London at the time, and I was in Paris for this black-tie awards event. I was on my way to the Picasso museum when I passed by the shop that Nadira worked in, and I thought I would just pop in and out. But of course, when I went in she had me quickly. But she didn’t date her customers. There were a few rejections, and then I finally said, “Well-” 68

VERT & VOGUE

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VERT & VOGUE

Q: Where does the name Vert & Vogue come from? Ryan: Vert is green in French. Nadira: He has passion for the green. And Vogue because of the passion for the fashion. Q: Why Durham? Ryan: We wanted to start the business in a place where we could be a part of a real community where there was opportunity, and we kept hearing about this area. So, we came down one weekend and went to some of the restaurants and we said, “Well, if there’s this kind of a palate for food here, then they would appreciate a business like ours.” Q: How difficult was it to start an environmentally conscious fashion store in 2008? Nadira: It was so hard for us to find designers producing in the US who were using natural fibers. Now, I think more than 60% of our collection is made in the US. In the fashion industry it’s usually from one to three percent. Ryan: It’s definitely easier now. Our collection is much more cohesive and congruent in reflecting our values, which are that the goods have to be well-made, as much as possible of natural fiber textiles, made in the U.S., and haveNadira: A great cut. Ryan: And long-lasting design. In 2008, the brands that we worked with didn’t hit all those marks, and they were more so focused on just sustainable textiles likeNadira: Bamboo. Ryan: It’s the latest green textile of the moment. And, unfortunately, a lot of those businesses were upstarts. By 2009 a lot of them had gone out of business. But since then, more companies have become committed to creating and innovating in natural and organic textiles. The other challenging piece was that we’re a contemporary fashion boutique. Any time you mention the word sustainability, or eco, people would have visions of burlap or yoga. That was a big challenge in marketing ourselves and what we do—the French inspiration, European tailoring and cuts, and sustainability values. We’re in such a better place now.

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Q: It seems that the “concept store” is becoming increasingly popular. How is Vert & Vogue responding? Nadira: For me, a concept store creates an experience. And that was our goal since the first day, creating an experience for the customer. Ryan: And curating a collection with an overall theme. That’s the future: you can’t do formulaic retail anymore. You have to do something distinctive, where all the senses are engaged and something unique is happening. Nadira: For instance, we have a happy hour every third Friday. So many talented people come and shop with us and become our friends. We like to introduce our friends to other friends and see what happens. It’s more than just putting candles and perfume and books and some cool music and saying, “Oh, we are concept store.” Q: Who is the Vert & Vogue customer? Nadira: Our customers are independent, strong, professional. Ryan: There are three traits we often remark about: interesting, accomplished, and humble. Our customers are all doing really interesting work and doing it well, but they don’t toot their own horn. Nadira: Sometimes I’m pinching myself, because we really have the best customers in the world. Q: What are your criteria for selecting merchandise for the store? Nadira: Our motto is “We buy what we love.” Q: So you don’t feel you follow trends, necessarily? Nadira: A little touch. Trends are not all bad. It’s nice to have a little splash of lavender this summer, right? But no, I buy what I love. If in some season we don’t find the pants we love, we will not buy pants.

VERT & VOGUE

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VERT & VOGUE

Q: Where do you buy? Nadira: We go to New York. We do some of the big shows like D&A, but we also do a lot of tiny, tiny shows. Q: What are some of the names? Nadira: Rachel Comey for sure. Apiece Apart, No. 6, and small designers like Caron Callahan, and First Rite, that we love. Where Mountains Meet, which is a small, focused, beautiful feminine collection, very well made. Ryan: The goods have to feel good. We always joke in the shop that it’s a petting zoo because people come in to touch the cotton, the cashmere, the silk, the boiled wool. Also, we support other small businesses, especially those owned and operated by women. I think at last count more than 70% of our brands are helmed by women… The other piece of it is we do full outfitting. If you come in the shop, we’re going to style you head-to-toe. Nadira: You don’t have to buy it. You don’t. No pressure. Ryan: But the value is that we’re going to give you a vision of yourself that you may not have had. Nadira: A lot of people tell me, “Oh, I don’t wear that.” Like, “Well, just try it. You don’t have to buy it.” They try, and even if they don’t buy it now, at least they have an idea that they can do it. Q: How do you balance trends in the fashion industry with timeless style? Nadira: Trendy, we do a touch. For example, for summer 2018, the trend will be a lot of lavender, leopard, pastel hues like baby blues and sky blues and some pink. So, if you go to the shop now, you will see some touch of it. I mean, just a touch. Ryan: If it feels good, you’re going to go back to it again and again. Maybe it’ll go out of style for a little bit. But maybe for you it never goes out of style. That’s what we aim for.

Vert & Vogue 353 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701 www.vertandvogue.com

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EITHER/OR

Either

/ Or

Not long ago, sneakers, jeans, and sweatshirts were considered beneath the purview of high Soon after, asymmetrical fashion, but today, luxury streetwear has shirts, unfinished seams, and taken the world by storm. While Demna long black jackets, all seemGvasalia, whose work at Balenciaga and ingly conceived through the Vetements transformed the fashion landlens of Derridean philosophy, scape, seems to be the main man behind graced the runways and city this trend, it would be remiss not to unstreets, much to the horror of traderstand his impact within a broader ditional fashion critics. And while context. Gvasalia owes much of his inone can too often forget their legacy fluence to his fellow graduates of the in fashion history, the Antwerp Six, Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp later with help from Martin Margiethree decades prior. Comprising a la, paved the way for Gvasalia to bring consortium of designers called the about his iconoclastic designs to a mass Antwerp Six, these sartorial masaudience. In this editorial, we explore terminds fought hard to push the power of collage in blending the past avant-gardism and deconstrucand present of streetwear, and in doing tivism into the mainstream. so, combine a contemporary zeitgeist with the lineal influence from the Antwerp Six.

COLLAGE Lizzie Zelter MODELS Anna Pollack & Juan JosĂŠ JimĂŠnez PHOTOGRAPHY Elliott Golden PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Rae Hsu WRITING Jared Wong

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EITHER/OR

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Travel & Culture

Brewery Bhavana

PHOTOGRAPHY Joseph Kim PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Advaitha Anne WRITING Sonia Fillipow

BREWERY BHAVANA

Travel & Culture

From the outside, there is nothing especially remarkable about Brewery Bhavana. An unassuming brick exterior feels at home alongside the historic buildings that populate Downtown Raleigh. However, upon entering, there can be no mistake that Brewery Bhavana is unequivocally unique. Inside lie a brewery, a dim sum restaurant, a flower shop, and a specialty bookstore, all integrated into one multifunctional space. Fig trees cast shades over dining tables and colorful displays of books and flowers, evoking a sense of otherworldliness. People gather at long wooden tables, bathing in sunlight as they leaf through books on design, poetry, food, and faraway places. Conversations from the surrounding taproom and restaurant reverberate through the space. The fragrance of fresh flowers with notes of hops and dim sum perfume the air, every element coming together harmoniously.

come to be? Far from a coordinated effort to bring a few of today’s cultural fascinations into one space, the genesis of Bhavana is a story of friendship, community, and home. Co-founder Vansana Nolintha never imagined that he would enter the food and brewing industry. When Van was twelve, he and his sister, Vanvisa, were adopted from Laos by an American family. For Van and Vanvisa, cooking Laotian food functioned as a healing experience, a practice in remembering home and making sense of their surroundings. However, like most immigrants, Van aspired towards a stable career. He studied engineering at NC State for three years, hoping to one day become a doctor; however, his plans were disrupted by an enlightening visit to a friend’s architectural studio. Van explained that entering the studio “was like breathing for the first time.” After his sudden discovery of his passion for design, he abandoned his aspiration to become a doctor, and instead pursued a less conventional path in design in addition to peace and conflict studies.

The sights and smells at Bhavana welcome everyone from foodies and literary enthusiasts to design nerds and beer connoisseurs. But how did so many different elements

BREWERY BHAVANA

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are often asked: why flowers, and books, and Belgian beer and Chinese food? For us,

it was never a concept, it was always a reaction to the people in our lives. The genesis of Brewery Bhavana was friends coming together and thinking about what they love and putting all of that in one room and inviting all the people that they love in that same room.â&#x20AC;? -Van Nonlintha, Co-founder

BREWERY BHAVANA

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When Van completed his education at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, finding a job proved to be an insurmountable challenge. Rather than despair, Van took this opportunity to travel back to Laos with his sister for the summer. They returned from the tour of their homeland with a renewed sense of appreciation for their family heritage and a stronger connection to home. This reconnection sparked a longing to express their heritage. Their longing manifested

â&#x20AC;&#x153;[T]he genesis of Bhavana is a story of friendship, community, and home.â&#x20AC;?

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BREWERY BHAVANA

in their first restaurant in downtown Raleigh, the Laotian restaurant, Bida Manda. The community’s warm embrace of their expression of home left Van and Vanvisa in awe. A few years later, Brewery Bhavana was born out of new friendships. After finishing his work in the Peace Corps, Bhavana’s brewmaster, Patrick Woodsen, traveled with his wife to Laos, where they fell in love with the food and culture. Upon returning to Raleigh, Patrick met Van during a visit to Bida Manda. Their shared love of Laos initiated a long-lasting friendship that eventually developed into a business partnership. Patrick’s passion for Brewing, Van’s knowledge of the restaurant business, along with their close friend Deana’s penchant for flower arranging coalesced in the birth of Brewery Bhavana. Van insists on how there was never any intentionality in the concept, explaining “we are often asked: why flowers, and books, and Belgian beer and Chinese food? For us, it was never a concept, it was always a reaction

Travel & Culture

to the people in our lives. The genesis of Brewery Bhavana was friends coming together and thinking about what they love and putting all of that in one room.” The food at Bhavana welcomes and brings people together. Dim sum, which historically has served as a symbol of welcome, fittingly translates to “touch the heart.” At Bhavana they continue this ancient tradition. For Van and his team, dim sum functions as a “vehicle of the generosity of the moment.” Beyond reinforcing their community ethos, the dim sum and Chinese entrees stand out on their own. The fresh, bright, and simple flavors are a far cry from the greasy and salty flavors associated with Chinese food in the US. The chefs at Bhavana transform simple Chinese dishes into small works of art, with creative plating and garnishes inspired by the house flower shop. The elegant delivery of each dish inspires a sense of excitement that is maintained until the last grain of crab fried rice vanishes from one’s plate. While people come to Bhavana for different reasons - some stopping by for a beer and others gathering to read poetry - the pervading aura of acceptance makes everyone feel at home. Van accurately describes Brewery Bhavana as a living room for the rapidly changing Raleigh community, a place to exchange and cherish different narratives. At Bhavana, they do more than just sell food and beverages. Rather, Van views Brewery Bhavana as a new medium of development work. Like a public park or a coffee shop, Brewery Bhavana responds to the community’s desire for spaces that encourage an overlap of people from all walks of life.

BREWERY BHAVANA

“The Chefs at Bhavana transform simple Chinese dishes into small works of art”

Brewery Bhavana 218 S Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601 www.brewerybhavana.com

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EARTHSEED

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“I don’t think it’s unique to me. The feeling that I get when I hit that trail and get lost in nature … we have a wealth of that in Durham fortunately, but this is different because we get to hold it and claim a special connection to it.” - Zulayka Santiago

Mere minutes away from downtown Durham, Earthseed Land Collective lays nestled under a bright blue sky. Endless farmland is interrupted by a few wooden houses, painted white, with wrap-around porches and screen doors. Standing in the door frame is Zulayka Santiago, one of Earthseed’s co-founders. Warm and talkative, she eagerly introduces herself while cutting kiwis for her daughter’s morning snack.

Courtney Woods, arrives just a few moments after we settle in. She and Zulayka introduce Earthseed’s origin, highlighting the significance of the collective’s name. The name “Earthseed” is actually an homage to Octavia Butler-- a brilliant black, female, science fiction author who emphasized the decolonization of the mind. Butler’s trilogy, “Earthseed,” is based on the idea that all life on Earth comes from a seed, one that is adaptable to an ever-changing world.

Sunlight streams through the kitchen windows. The comforting smell of homemade cooking fills the room as Justin Robinson, a Grammy award winning artist and another Earthseed co-founder, prepares a baked chicken and spinach dish for a food justice event occuring that evening. While sitting at a round table, the collective’s members buzz in and out of the kitchen. Every so often Zulayka’s daughter, closely followed by her dog Twinkles, runs up to us reminding us that the space was a home as well as a workplace.

Earthseed Land Collective is doing just that: prioritizing a healthy relationship between people and nature, while challenging the framework that has denied people of color access to land. It was established in 2011 by eight people of color. Four of the founders reside permanently on the 48 acre property, which includes several houses, a barn under construction, woodlands, trails and a small garden.

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The idea of forming a collective stemmed from a meeting of community members working in land based businesses in 2011. After members expressed frustration over the lack of ownership of their land projects, a small group set out to purchase land they could ultimately own and use as a communal healing space. “This is about having access,” Courtney emphasized, “and providing access to other people of color.” The issue of ownership is extremely important, as it ultimately dictates how easily one can move forward in life. “If you don’t own your own land,” Justin chimed in from across the kitchen, “your ability to choose your own destiny is not there. At all.”

As with any large endeavor, Earthseed has faced challenges, particularly in terms of capacity and infrastructure. “The thing about human beings is that we’re pretty complex,” Justin says, referring to the difficulty of reaching an agreement on the cooperative’s goals. Given that most members have other full-time jobs, the progress Earthseed has made in the last seven years is a feat. The work is physically and mentally exhausting. The collective recently took a pause to regroup and reenergize. Justin points out that they are “moving at the speed of trust, emulating nature.” The collective is only as strong as the relationships between individual members. Understanding when to take a step back is equally as important as moving forward. Just as Butler imagined, Earthseed is adapting and growing over time.

Ownership of land is integral to Earthseed’s mission. This autonomy provides the basis for their connection to Durham. Their future plans involve creating a space for people of color to reconnect with land and immerse themselves in the mental and physical benefits of nature. Earthseed hopes to open their trails, woodlands and plots to the greater Durham community so that those historically barred from accessing land can reconnect with an outdoor space. Their indoor facilities are set to be renovated into a dance hall and community center. By combining their passions for music, dance, sustainability, gardening, youth work, food and health, Earthseed can be considered a container of seven strong, diverse voices working towards community empowerment. Earthseed’s mission is not only to reconnect the Durham community with nature, but also to provide women of color specifically with a safe healing space. “What it has done to me to be able to walk this land by myself at night is like nothing else,” Zulayka said. “Feeling completely at home, safe and comfortable at night is something I want all women to access.”

As we stepped outside, the air was brisk under the cloudless sky. Passing by the plots of tilled land, Zulayka and Courtney excitedly discuss the potential for gardens and small, subsistence farming. After very slow winter months, the excitement of spring is tangible. “This is the busiest day we’ve ever had!” Courtney jokes. “We’re planting blueberries today and some of that we envision to be for subsistence for families and folks in the area. We’ve also discussed the possibility of having a pick-your-own orchard to eventually generate income.” These future plans are rooted in the members’ dedication to share their knowledge of land management. By offering a space that fosters cooperation and learning, Earthseed invites neighbours to make more meaningful connections.

“Reimagining our relationship to ourselves, each other and the land.”

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Earthseed hopes to be a model for future land collectives owned and operated by people who strive to reclaim the right to shape their own story. Durham has a rich history of black communities standing up to fight for their empowerment. “I feel like we’re doing Durham justice,” Justin explained. As Durham expands and gentrification is rendered visible by the evident displacement of minorities, examples of strong communities such as Earthseed become more important. This story is one to be carried on for generations to come and encourages our imagination to trace the necessary foundations of what a home should be.

PHOTOGRAPHY Claire Alexandre WRITING Angela Griffe & Claire Alexandre

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Sonia Fillipow

Earthseedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current members left to right: Justin Robinson, Tahz Walker, Cristina Rivera Chapman, Zulayka Santiago, Courtney Woods, Santos Flores, Corre Robinson www.earthseedlandcoop.org

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CARRBORO, NC

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PHOTOGRAPHY Joseph Kim WRITING Sonia Fillipow Carrboro was made for lazy afternoons. Just a twenty-minute drive from Durham, one quickly becomes immersed in Carrboro’s quirky small-town charm. Chapel Hill’s alternative counterpart provides an inviting setting for an afternoon of sipping fresh-roasted coffee, leafing through eclectic records, savouring farm-to-table cuisine, or sampling some of the region’s most unique craft beer.

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Gray Squirrel Coffee This sleek coffeehouse is the creation of Shaw Sturton, the former green coffee sourcer for Blue Bottle Coffee. The bright and spacious interior provides a stylish backdrop for the in-house roastery, where they produce specialty coffee in small batches. The coffee house serves as a watering hole for Carrboroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entrepreneurial set. Millennials gather at the long tables and bleacher-like seating, transfixed on conversations and laptop screens. Outside on the spacious patio, coffee lovers and their dogs relax while enjoying artfully crafted espresso drinks.

Gray Squirrel Coffee Co. 360 E. Main Street, Carrboro, NC 27510 www.graysquirrelcoffee.com

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All Day Records After getting your caffeine fix, make your way down Main Street to All Day Records. Floorto-ceiling displays of classic records line the walls of this music mecca. Thumb through endless crates full of records and cassettes and feel yourself being transported to the pre-digital age. The endless offering of records at All Day Records are best savored slowly, so pace yourself and try not to be deterred by the inquisitive gaze of the pierced and bearded regulars. All Day Records distributes everything from classic rock to obscure genres like blood punk, so whether you are a seasoned music critic or just exploring, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bound to find something that moves you.

All Day Records 112 E Main St, Carrboro, NC 27510 www.alldayrecords.com

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Pizzeria Mercato Once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked up an appetite, wander over to Pizzeria Mercato for a late-afternoon lunch. This critically acclaimed pizzeria prides itself on its use of seasonal ingredients sourced from the Carrboro Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market across the street. Local produce inspires their bright and energetic salads and vegetable dishes. The charred broccolinni was our personal favorite. Afterwards, choose from a list of their creative, flavorful Neapolitan-style pizzas or a plate of their handmade pasta.

Pizzeria Mercato 408 West Weaver St, Carrboro, NC 27510 www.pizzeriamercatonc.com

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Steel String Brewery It’s five o’clock, so end your afternoon with a locally brewed craft beer at Steel String. This small, humor-loving brewery crafts all of its beers in house. Each beer variety is brewed to embody the funky character of the community. Enjoy a coffee-infused stout or a “Dad Fuel” Indian Pale Lager on their sunny patio. Be sure to check their calendar as the community gathering spot offers everything from game nights, to ukulele concerts and vinyl DJ sets.

Steel String Brewery 106A South Greensboro Street, Carrboro NC, 27510 www.steelstringbrewery.com

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t r a ns i e n t Time does not move the same way here as it does in a house or a car or outdoors. Sunrise means nothing. Nighttime, winter, spring make no difference. Does the Starbucks at the end of the B terminal ever close? I do not know; I have never seen the lights go off.

I sleep in corners of this place that few people go: on the floors of the far-flung gates that open up into tiny worlds away from here: St. George, Utah; Laredo, Texas; Hendersonville, North Carolina. In the business lounge when the desk attendant is off her shift or dozing with her head on the keyboard. Behind the Hudson News desk, even, if the right clerk is working.

In the San Francisco airport, travelers can relax and meditate in a dark mirrored yoga room. No electronics are allowed to be on, and even the door is padded so the noise it makes opening and closing is imperceptible. The room has a curtained antechamber so light canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seep in through the open door. I read this in a seat-back magazine I found crumpled on the bathroom floor.

If we had such a room, I would wind myself into a tight ball of yarn on a yoga mat and sink into the quiet. I would spend my nights there.

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Nighttime, winter, spring make no difference.

Sometimes I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sleep at all. Sometimes I walk up and down the halls of this sprawling space and watch the people who have late-night layovers or early morning flights. I might stand or sit by a vast window, rain-spotted, looking out onto the shadow of a cloudy, empty runway; all night I might sit stationary while flight attendants pulling their little black suitcases clatter and click in their heels along the tiled walkway. Businesspeople glide past me in a blur; I see a thousand briefcases and a thousand paper coffee cups in a single blink.

The floor above baggage claim is clear. Up here from the second floor of the D terminal, I can see the luggage circling and circling, and there are almost always a few pieces whose owners never pick them up, that keep revolving until the next flight arrives with the next blare of the carousel. Eventually an airport employee will pluck the abandoned suitcases and duffel bags from the conveyor belt and drag them away to a room, somewhere, that I imagine is like a graveyard for the bones of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives, the things they felt were essential for a weeklong vacation to Lake Placid or a business trip to St. Paul, but not essential enough to carry on their person. I would like to see this graveyard. I would like to know how many people are reunited with their nonessential essentials and how many cut their losses, forgetting the portable integers of their previous lives, and buy new toothbrushes, new phone chargers, new blazers and new oxblood penny loafers, new bones.

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The bones are mostly the same, I think. What does one businessman need that’s different from another? I wonder how many times a day someone grabs the wrong suitcase because it looks the same. I wonder how long it takes them to notice. I wonder what they really miss—one man drives home with a blue roller-bag containing two hanging button downs, a few pairs of dress socks, a Macbook cable; another man takes a taxi to his hotel with a blue roller-bag containing three creased button downs, a few pairs of dress socks, a Macbook cable a bit more knotted and worn than his own—can’t they make do? It seems like one skeleton is just another, rearticulated in a slightly different order, missing a few vertebrae, an extra metatarsal thrown in there somewhere.

From my perch on the glass sheet separating my feet from baggage claim, I can see parents wandering through the orchard of carousels looking for their children returning from college; I can glance down for an instant and catch a pair of young people hugging for the first time in a long time, a long-distance relationship consummated through public touch.

The funny thing about airports is that no one passes through here forever. Almost always, the travelers I see departing will be back in a few days or weeks on their way home. People don’t move to another state by plane; they pull U-Haul trailers up the eastern seaboard at 55 mph or they pile their pickup truck beds high with books and boxes of clothes and head west on I-70 with a tarp fastened over the back so their earthly belongings don’t fly out onto the road shoulder.

Sometimes an exchange student boards the plane to another country and won’t return for months or a year. But even they come back home someday, maybe for the summer or for Christmas, maybe for the next school year. Nobody can stay away.

Nobody can stay away.

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never need to hurry through the air; I have time to stand on the moving sidewalk and notice the Disney-bound families, study the clutch of a sticky, stringy-haired toddler onto the legs of her father. She’s crying now, and her face is knotted and blotchy, and her matchstick-fingers dig into her father’s sweatpants. She must be tired. Everyone here is tired—tired from getting here on time, tired from missing their connecting flight, tired from trekking across four terminals to get to their distant gate—but they are here and because they are here they know they will eventually make it to where they’re going.

The shape of the building I live in is movement. The ceiling is arched, not like a medieval cathedral is arched, symmetrical and sturdy, but like the back of a cat is arched, with its ribs curving prominently down from its vertebrae and its ribcage encasing its lungs. The beams holding up the ceiling aren’t straight, and the ceiling isn’t just a ceiling—it’s a bowed structure that forms the walls too. The people walking and running from security to their gates or from their gates to the parking garages are the ichor of the building as it’s breathing. They are carrying air through the body cavity, along its walls plastered with an emergency defibrillator there, a smeary windowpane there, a flickering advertisement for the local community college.

The lights go up and down, the rain starts and stops, the planes land and take off, and I am still here in the middle of the hallway feeling the air rush by me, in the doors, out the doors, into the jetway, and gone.

Words By Blythe Davis

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I am one of the only bodies of permanence here.

In this way, I am one of the only bodies of permanence here. I

www.dukeform.co

Black Mountain Featured Works from the State Library of North Carolina, Digital Collection, Black Mountain Collection: Buckminster Fullerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Architecture class, 1949 Summer Institute, Black Mountain College, 1949 (pg. 29) Studies Building (viewed from the deck end), Black Mountain College, 1929-1945 (pg. 31) Studies Building windows, Lake Eden campus, Black Mountain College, ca. 1942, Black Mountain College, 1942 (pg. 31) Josef Albers and student Robert De Niro, Black Mountain College, 1939-1940 (pg. 32) Josef Albers teaching his drawing class at Black Mountain College, Black Mountain College, 1929-1945 (pg. 33) Don Page Weaving at Black Mountain College, Black Mountain College, 1929-1945 (pg. 34)