Smoke & Mirrors: Theme Note

Trickery, mysticism and illusion have always entranced humanity. We love to trick our senses and minds with optical illusions, and there seems nothing wrong with the shallow playfulness these imply. The phrase ‘smoke and mirrors’ dates back to early magic tricks that used these tools to project illusions of objects floating and disappearing to enrapt audiences. Yet, smoke and mirrors can be deployed in darker contexts for more nefarious purposes, providing embellishments aimed at distracting attention away from the truth. Politics has long relied on strawman arguments and flimsy policy distractions to attempt to soothe populaces into states of passivity. Companies use advertising to conceal the harm they cause societies. We lie to ourselves as well daily, and our delusions are ultimately sustained by fantasies we prop up with smoke and mirrors.

Smoke and mirrors as a theme invites us as readers to question and challenge the constructs of modern life. It invites us to peel back the thin veneer of modern societal narratives. It invites us to question our sense and relationships within the global community. As human beings, I think its important to believe in the morality and rationale behind our choices and daily lifestyle. But what happens when this is stripped back and challenged? What happens when we pop the growing postmodern bubble of hyperbolism and grandiosity? These are the questions this issue wants to prompt you to answer.

The issue proceeds on a journey of discovery and revelation, starting off when an exploration of the alarming implications of political smokescreens including media scandals, cannabis policy, fake news, and conspiracy theorists. The issue then turns the mirror inwards with a series of articles focused on reflecting on the lies we tell ourselves: that we’ll actually enjoy New Years Eve; that we’ll stick to our resolutions; and that we didn’t really want to wear Uggs anyway. We then explore the validity of scientific and political claims surrounding sustainability and the climate crisis, before transitioning into a more mystic path to explore the secrets hidden by mimicry, paintings and puzzles. Lastly, we close with creative pieces exploring self-identity and image inspired by the Smoke and Mirrors theme.

Turn the page, and look behind the smoke and mirrors.

Catherine Bouchard