CREDO (winter 2016) by iNKBLOT

CARY ACADEMY

WINTER 2016

1 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Jack Davis Micaela Rosen CREATIVE DIRECTORS Gabby Axner Claire Doyle Deming Haines Ella Thompson GUEST Cat Cobb CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Miller WRITING Jack Davis CONTRIBUTORS Henna Judge Micaela Rosen PHOTOGRAPHY Claire Doyle CONTRIBUTORS Deming Haines Pauline Pauwels FACULTY Cayce Lee CONSULTANT

Pauline Pauwels, 2014

CREDO A piece of paper, a splash of ink, a crease: an inkblot. Simple in process, fascinating in result.

Inkblots represent a unique paradox—while they are by virtue non-representative, they often provoke strong recognition from viewers. Hermann Rorschach appropriated these forms for clinical psychoanalysis, extending the work of Sigmund Freud into a more visual realm. He claimed that the reaction to an inkblot illustrates the structure of one’s thought process. How we find order in something inherently chaotic, Rorschach thought, indicates who we really are. Similarly, the world resonates uniquely with everyone. What attracts one might repulse another, what inspires one might bore another. We founded iNKBLOT to explore these differences and connections through the lenses of art, fashion, photography, and other creative expression. In our inaugural issue, CREDO, we have encapsulated our mission, core values, and overall identity. In short, we seek to broaden perspectives, foster conversations, and promote creativity. We value selfexpression, community, diversity, and imagination. In essence, we want to celebrate art and design not as an end in itself but rather as a tool for instigating change in a larger society. CREDO showcases a multitude of student artists across many mediums. Lauren Miller, our featured visual artist, reveals her talent for compellingly realistic renderings. Photographers Deming Haines, Claire Doyle, and Pauline Pauwels share their respective insights and worldviews with our community. Myriad creators, aesthetics, and mediums are represented. This issue also demonstrates profound artistic and intellectual collaboration. In an intersectional project uniting dance and photography, Gabby Cooper and Deming Haines prove the inherent links between visual and performing arts. Pauline Pauwels’ photographs elevate Micaela’s analysis of Madame Bovary. And the two of us have curated a sampling of our own artistic work exploring the thread of identity in a greater culture. CREDO additionally contains multiple essays, on topics ranging from Flaubert to the 2015 Balmain x H&M collaboration. For iNKBLOT’s first “What Is Beauty?” essay, Henna Judge eloquently and insightfully challenges a monolithic standard of beauty perpetuated by the fashion industry. We are proud to recognize such strong student work in our debut issue. On its own, an inkblot is devoid of value, simply ink on paper. It possesses only the meaning people project onto it. While art may often feel like an intellectual exercise to better the creator, it becomes profound when shared with a community and others can grow from it. This is iNKBLOT. This is our credo.

CONTENTS FASHION 5 / Fashion Report // Jack Davis 9 / Oversize Me // Jack Davis 11 / The Case Against Balmain x H&M // Jack Davis

ART 13 / Who Am I // Jack Davis, Micaela Rosen 21 / Dance Dance Revolution // Gabby Cooper (Deming Haines) 41 / FEATURED ARTIST: Lauren Miller // Lauren Miller 53 / Cat Cobb // Cat Cobb

PHOTOGRAPHY 29 / The World According to Deming Haines // Deming Haines 57 / 206 // Claire Doyle

BEAUTY 49 / What is Beauty? // Henna Judge (Jack Davis)

CULTURE 25 / Me, My Protagonist, and I // Micaela Rosen (Pauline Pauwels)

SUBMIT TO iNKBLOT Send submissions of creative work to inkblot@caryacademy.org. JOIN THE iNKBLOT TEAM Email Jack Davis and Micaela Rosen.

DEDICATED TO CAYCE LEE Ms. Lee, You have been an instrumental force behind not only the foundation of iNKBLOT but also the development of ourselves and our peers as artists, students, and individuals. Your studio is a bastion of creativity, an artistic stronghold of the CA values of discovery, innovation, collaboration, and excellence. Every student who has passed through the space has benefited from the culture of creation that you have fostered. Furthermore, you model the artistic prowess that we seek to attain. Your art, particularly your recent installation, Resonantia, has profoundly inspired us and motivated us to continue pursuing our own. Over the past four years, we have received endless reserves of inspiration, energy, and support from you when we have needed it most. You constantly challenge us to explore ideas to their fullest potentials instead of settling for mediocrity. You give us confidence when we’re insecure, hope when we’re demoralized, and humor when we’re despondent.

This issue is for you.

Resonantia // Cayce Lee

Givenchy

www.givenchy.com/en/

IN SHORT This season, designers sought to maintain their artistry all while pandering ever more to the consumer. Many showed streetwearinfluenced collections with flavors of history, like Pradaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crisp skirts whose prints paid homage to Lichtenstein and Warhol. Others, such as Givenchy, evoked the clean lines and tailoring of Savile Row through immaculately-piped coats and jackets. The romantics held steadfast to their rosy worldviews, adding a touch of real-world sensibility, as evidenced by Dolce & Gabbanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selfiemotif on the runway and in their ad campaigns.

KEY TRENDS 1. Oversized Proportions

6. Pop Art Colors

2. Incongruous Layers

7. Graphic Prints

3. Minimalism

8. Ornate Accessories

4. Fringe

9. Platform Shoes

5. Fur

10.Warped Denim

TOP TREND

PURITAN saintlaurent.com

Imagine the Pilgrims sailing towards the New World, fervently praying for a rigid, theocratic society. Now imagine punk rockers of the Seventies and Eighties, chain-smoking and screaming for anarchy. Despite the stark ideological and cultural differences between these two groups, many collections this season showcased the two together, juxtapositions of the cool and careless onto the prim and proper. Known for bringing femininity to the dark grotesqueness of the Alexander McQueen aesthetic, Sarah Burton did not disappoint; her Fall/Winter collec-

alexanderwang.com

alexandermcqueen.com

PUNK

tion this year focused upon a morbidly romanticized view of the Victorian era. Characterized primarily by cream dresses with many layers of simple pleats and gathers, the collection glamorized peasant life. Frilly high-collared necklines evoking Puritanical properness gave way to scandalous flashes of skin and lace through the bodice, uniting the chaste and the revealing. The collection found its voice best through leather micro-pleated skirts; they best represented the McQueen ideology of dangerous femininity. Saint Laurent—under the direction of Hedi Slimane—layered flouncy chiffon-tulle dresses and skirts under sharply-cut leather and vinyl coats. Including more urbane British influences such as tweed and chunky knits, Slimane contextualized the role of punk in the larger English pop cultural history. The tortured ballerina vibe that manifested in multiple looks paid tribute to Rodarte’s Black Swan costuming in 2010. Underscoring all of the aforementioned influences, Saint Laurent’s trademark sophistication elevated the collection from eclectic combinations to intellectuallysound couplings. Alexander Wang, capitalizing on the common hue of black, alluded more subtly to Pilgrims and punks in his sportswearinformed fall/winter collection this year. Forming long, rangy silhouettes, Wang’s technical purity and strong lines speak to the conviction that unites both groups; he eschewed baroqueness for the sake of baroqueness. Whether you’re a Courtney Love, a John Winthrop, or somewhere in between, F/ W has something for you. ◙

rtw

Steve J & Yoni P

Zara Christian Louboutin

Valentino

Sacai

Saint Laurent

Zara

IMAGES FROM Saks Fifth Avenue (saks.com) Barneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York (barneys.com) Net-a-Porter (net-a-porter.com) Zara (zara.com)

Acne Studios

http://www.acnestudios.com/collections/

OVERSIZE ME Just as the crispness of fall has yielded to the stark cold of winter, so too autumn’s playfully chic style has matured into winter’s oxymoronic understatedly overstated style. As temperatures drop, coats continue to supplant dresses as the keystone garment of a look. And this year, designers across all ends of the spectrum have delivered a unified look: clean, monochrome, oversized. While fashion as an aggregate has been slowly edging away from wildly baroque patterns, colors, and textures in favor of simpler, more elegant constructions, the transition of coats from figurehugging to downright tent-like has occurred very quickly. Dropped shoulders, cartoonish sleeves, and floor-grazing hems populate designers ranging from Céline to Forever 21. Furthermore, the style has charmed celebrated musicians, models, and actors alike. But beyond the usual paradigm of the masses copying celebrity culture, the rise of oversized coats—and, to a lesser extent, other garments— marks a profound cultural shift in America. In essence, the oversized movement (though admittedly this term is unused) began as part of another movement, a countercultural fashion revolution in Japan during the Seventies. Designers such as Yohji Yamamoto of his eponymous label and Rei Kawakubo of the inimitable Comme des Garçons reviled the dull femininity of French fashion and the angst-ridden punk culture of the London scene with beautifully, brilliantly simple garments. They abandoned color and convention to emphasize silhouette and texture. These designers became the first to separate the shape and form of garments from the shape of a desired body. Accordingly, this movement gained a reputation of intellectuality. Today, the resurgence of this Japanese minimalism largely stems from street style. As brash personalities like Rihanna began to wear huge outerwear (often with very little underneath), millennials aspired to follow their lead. Initially, people simply purchased clothing in larger sizes, but as H&M and Forever 21 scrambled to launch true oversized coats, they sold quickly. On the high fashion end,

the quick ascent in popularity of the oversized look caught up with designers like the aforementioned Yamamoto and CdG among others such as Rick Owens, Acne, Public School—all of whom having been manufacturing such pieces for years. Ultimately, what celebrities and civilians alike chose to wear on the streets informed the direction that fashion took. In recent history, fashion trends have often found relevance as youthful, fresh ways to showcase the human form: think skinny jeans, crop tops, and sagging. As American culture continues to grow more and more sexualized, we crave new ways to display our bodies without fear of being perceived as unoriginal or worse, “slutty.” For millennials in particular, fashion in certain circles has come to exist as a means to shape one’s body rather than an art form in and of itself. This mindset likely derives from the influence of social media, which fosters a culture of bodily judgment. The oversized trend represents a vast departure from this attitude. Unlike skintight or revealing clothing, oversized apparel deliberately obscures the form of the body. Therefore, the focus of the look becomes not the body of the wearer but rather the proportion of the garments themselves. The rising oversized movement has engendered greater appreciation of clothing as an art form rather than a mere cover for erogenous flesh. Coco Chanel, who started many a trend back in her day, is attributed with the line, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” While no one would advocate for society to “dress shabbily,” perhaps we should transition from “remember[ing] the woman” to “remember[ing] the dress.” Design is arguably the pinnacle of human achievement. Moreover, celebrating a showcased body type is futile and panders to the hypersexualizing and objectifying nature of society. In lieu of viewing our bodies as subject to the whims of fashion, let’s take directive from the oversized movement and recognize fashion as the art it truly is. ◙

Image from www.hm.com/us.balmain

The Case Against Balmain x H&M

Upon taking the dusty reins of Balmain in 2011, Olivier Rousteing has revolutionized the brand, transforming a quiet, dated relic of fashion’s Golden Age into a powerful voice in the millennial fashion community. Formerly a faceless underling of Christophe Dicarnin—Balmain’s previous designer-in-chief—Rousteing rose to celebrity soon following his new appointment, befriending contemporary pop culture icons such as Selena Gomez, Jared Leto, and the Kardashian clan. Rousteing’s designs deviate from the general direction high fashion is heading: while a preponderance of designers continue to embrace minimalism and soft silhouettes, Balmain protests with hypersexualized shapes and ostentatious embellishments. Unsurprisingly in today’s world, this proudly sexual attitude towards fashion has catapulted the brand into public acclaim. Furthermore, Rousteing’s relationships with celebrities intensifies its popularity. On his personal Instagram account (on which he has amassed nearly two million followers), he posts selfies with Kate Hudson, Kendall Jenner, and everyone in between, providing constant advertisements for his brand. Furthermore, Balmain even earns a shout-out in Nicki Minaj’s iconic “Anaconda.” Like Gucci and Louis Vuitton before,

Balmain has certainly found its niche in pop culture today. Moreover, Rousteing’s background further establishes Balmain as a high fashion designer of the people. Raised in Bordeaux, France, he was adopted from an orphanage at a very young age. He grew up as a person of color in a white family which made him susceptible to harassment from his peers as a child. Ultimately, he represents a new strain of the American dream (despite his French status).

This collection illustrates an endemic problem in the fashion industry: selling the promise of social status and success instead of clothing. Given the favorable public perception of Balmain and Rousteing himself today, H&M selected Balmain for its annual designer collaboration, an opportunity for high fashion lovers on a low fashion budget to score comparatively inexpensive garments from top designers. Previous designer collab-

12 orations include Karl Lagerfeld, Comme des Garçons, and Versace. This summer, H&M and Balmain announced their capsule collection by way of Instagram, showing Rousteing with Kendall and Kylie Jenner, all dressed in pieces from the collection. The big taglines were “Building the Balmain Army” and “Democratizing Fashion.” Thus began a social media frenzy for the clothes as people sought to emulate the stars and join the #BalmainArmy along with the Kardashians and Co. After months of feverish waiting, November 5 arrived and the collection dropped. As expected, the H&M website crashed, rendering nearly every non-hacker unable to purchase from the site. And like previous designer collaborations, the collection only arrived at flagship stores in cities like New York, Dubai, and Chicago where it met monstrous crowds hungry for reality star-approved clothes at Zara-level prices. The collection in its entirety was almost completely purchased in a couple hours, leaving mere scraps for the consumer at home once the website problems were resolved. In a few hours more, the collection’s shiniest pieces (figuratively and literally) had been posted on eBay for thousands of dollars each—real Balmain prices.

Rousteing disrespects the masses to which he marketed this collection by claiming to have “democratized” the fashion industry. Rousteing disrespects the masses to which he marketed this collection by claiming to have “democratized” the fashion industry. By deliberately restricting the quantity of the collection, H&M excludes vast numbers of the public, leaving only those who can afford to spend days waiting in line or those with the know-how to set up digital “robots” to procure the clothes. And at the end of the day, the majority of the collection likely ended up with the original Balmain customers who willingly bought the pieces for more off of eBay. That is not democracy. That is feeding the same cycle of sartorial privilege that began with the first H&M collaboration many years ago. This collection illustrates an endemic problem in the fashion industry: selling the promise of social status and success instead of clothing. But instead of merely perpetuating this problem, Rousteing

claimed to advocate for equality and democracy while in reality making it worse. This hypocrisy discredits any charitability Rousteing may have accrued from the time he spent fabricating the collection. His behavior personifies the fraudulence and inauthenticity that diminishes the public’s perception of the fashion industry. While Target behaves similarly to H&M through its execution of designer collaborations, there remains one fashion-forward beacon of light: Uniqlo. Partnering with designers and artists such as Christophe Lemaire and Keith Haring, Uniqlo produces less-hyped collaborations at fair quantities that enable as many customers as possible to purchase them. This model represents how designer collaborations should work. Perhaps Rousteing was simply uneducated about the production details of the collection and the impact of such exclusivity. But one can hardly excuse a designer of the people for neglecting the people. ◙

See the collection via Instagram:

@balmainxhm

Micaela Rosen, 2015

Jack Davis, 2015

Micaela Rosen, 2014

Jack Davis, 2015

Micaela Rosen, 2013

Jack Davis, 2015

Micaela Rosen, 2013

Jack Davis, 2015

Jack Davis, 2016

dan dan REVOL

Dancer and guest contrib collaborates with photograp break down the walls b performi

nce nce LUTION

butor Gabby Cooper pher Deming Haines to between the visual and ing arts.

For how long have you danced? I have been dancing since I was 3 years old. I started with ballet, and I liked it right away. I’ll have been dancing for 15 years by this June.

What was your first show? I don’t remember much considering I was three; however, I will say this. Each time I preform, it feels like I have never done it before. Each show comes with its own stress, a different story, and its own dynamic. No two shows are ever alike. I always endure some level of nerves before a show. No matter how small an audience, it scares me to think that people will be sitting and watching at me. Paranoia also goes into effect. I could forget my choreography, my costume could malfunction, or I could slip. I always remind myself that what I am about to do onstage is something that I’m good at, something I am fully prepared for, and something that just feels natural.

Do you think dance is an art? Since as long as I can remember, there has always been the argument of whether dance is a sport or an art. I believe it can be both at the same time. The physical aspect is so demanding; however, dance has the same properties as other arts. Dance is simply art displayed through movement. Each gesture has a purpose, a story, and a distinct look. What is your awareness of your body as you dance? Do you know what you look like dancing? While most of the time I dance in front of a mirror, it is important to feel my dancing instead of seeing it. To be a dancer, there must be a keen awareness of the body. Onstage there isn’t a mirror, so I am forced to feel each movement. In order to isolate each gesture and connect them into one large movement I have to be able to visualize what I look like. I definitely feel like the image I have of myself in my head is

24 more a representation of what I want to look like. Having this unrealistic picture of myself acts as the ideal artist I strive to be and a goal I hope to achieve. Performance art is gaining popularity. Do you consider dance to be a form of performance art? Dance is a very general term. While some styles of dance should be considered a performance art, others are more visual entertainment. Modern dance at its most basic form is a form of performance art. Dance is just a general term that even the simplest movement can be considered its own piece. Each movement is also well complemented by other forms of art. A prop, a backdrop, a costume, even a color can enhance the meaning behind a movement. Another growing influence in art culture is multiculturalism. How do you feel dance contributes to this? Dance is the perfect mode to promote multiculturalism. Most people rarely see other forms of dance besides the ones prevalent in America. This year in dance class with Ms. [Jasmine] Powell, we have been trying out different forms of dance. So far we have explored African movement, salsa, and different forms of Brazilian dance. As a dancer, I have the capability of learning and combining all of these different forms. Dance is so great because by simply preforming different styles of dance from different ethnicities, the audience can explore and learn about something they have never seen before. Even if dance is simply meant to be entertainment, it can still promote multiculturalism without the audience even realizing it.

ybody can do it no matter what the circumstances. Dance benefits everybody involved. The dancer can learn self-awareness and tell their story through movement without have to say or write anything. The audience can be entertained, but they can also find a dancer’s story that feels similar to their own. I believe dancing, in any style, can help patients heal faster, not just for PTSD. Simply watching dance can help a person forget about their own problems and step into a different world. This fall, Cary Academy students of dance, drawing, and orchestra collaborated to help the drawing students learn figure-drawing. What did you make of the experience?

Each student seemed to gain a better understanding of other forms of art. While it is easy for an experienced dancer to simply jump right into the movement, the drawing students found it difficult to release. The drawing students were nervous and uncomfortable which seemed strange to us dancers for which moving came so naturally. We dancers found the drawing aspect challenging and uncomfortable. It was strange to let my nerves go and my hand take over. I hope that the collaboration helped each of the artists reflect on their own art and appreciate it even more.

What is amazing about art…is that anybody can do it, no matter…the circumstances.

A Cary Academy graduate plans to use dance as a mechanism to help treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients. How else do you believe dance can be used to change the world? What is amazing about art, including dance, is that an-

What role do you envision dance playing in your future? I hope that dance is something that I never have to give up. I plan to continue dancing in college and to hopefully choreograph after that. It has been a part of me for so long that I wonder how I would be able to deal without it. It would be wrong for me to say that dance has been all great. Many days end in frustration, low self-esteem, and physical pain, but pushing through and looking back on all of the hardships I have endured are what make the experience worth it. Dance wouldn’t be worth it if it wasn’t a struggle. ◙

ME,

MY PROTAGONIST,

AND I

Editor-in-Chief Micaela Rosen analyzes Madame Bovary, linking the renowned author and founder of realism to his own character. Photographically illustrated by Pauline Pauwels. In Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert creates a character at once his equal and his opposite. Flaubert deeply connects with Emma; he is said to have exclaimed, “Madame Bovary, c’est moi!” The author and his protagonist share sentiments, some that Flaubert abhors in himself and others that he fears he possesses. Because Flaubert so strongly identifies with Emma, we can interpret his condemnation of her as a condemnation of his own desires and behaviors. Flaubert and Emma share a common outlook: they both view life through the lens of literature. In a letter to his close friend Ernest Chevalier,

Flaubert expounds that “we must get used to the idea of seeing nothing but books in the people about us” (Vargas Llosa). Flaubert turns on its head the common notion that literature reflects the world. Instead, he asserts that society now models itself after the literature it reads. This insight shapes how Flaubert develops Emma’s character; he fashions a woman subject to her treasured novels. After her first lovemaking with Rodolphe, Emma “[recalls] the heroines of the books she had read [and sees] herself as this type of amorous woman she had so much envied” (142). She tries to mold her life into the shape of a romantic novel, and her

26 efforts are not completely in vain. According to Léon, Emma becomes “the beloved of every novel, the heroine of every drama, the vague she of every volume of poetry” (235). Yet while Emma might be successful in becoming this prototype, she cannot force her supporting characters to adopt their necessary roles. She pretends that Rodolphe and Léon are romantic heroes but fails to fool herself; as her passion with Léon falters, she wonders why she cannot find a “strong, handsome being… with the heart of a poet in the shape of an angel” (252). Nevertheless, Emma continues the affair. She sees no other means of escaping her detested reality. As Flaubert writes: “one way of tolerating existence is to lose oneself in literature” (Vargas Llosa). By furnishing Emma with this viewpoint, Flaubert establishes their kinship. A hallmark of Flaubert’s narrative style— free indirect speech—further strengthens his association with his main character. Narrative theorist Gerard Genette describes free indirect speech as when “the narrator takes on the speech of the character, or, if one prefers, the character speaks through the voice of the narrator, and the two instances are then merged” (Stevenson). Flaubert uses this technique liberally throughout the novel, but when the narrator speaks in Emma’s voice, it imports singular significance. One example of free indirect speech occurs after Léon leaves Yonville, when the narrator laments: “Why hadn’t she [Emma] seized that happiness when it was offered!” (108). While written in the third person, this exclamation seems to come straight from Emma’s lips. Flaubert blurs the boundaries between the narrator’s commentary and Emma’s inner thoughts, making himself, the narrator, one with Emma. Such exclamations overtly exemplify free indirect speech, but more subtle occurrences abound in the novel as well. Upon Léon’s departure, the narrator describes Emma as “filled with a bleak melancholy, a numb despair” (107). The adjectives “bleak” and “numb” amplify the ambiguity of the phrase: to whom do the words belong? They belong to both Emma and Flaubert. Free indirect speech enables Flaubert to insert his own voice into her character. Quietly, he denotes Emma as a literary interpretation of himself. Flaubert’s intense identification with Emma indicates that, even if he does not manifest her immoral behavior, he possesses kindred feelings. Flaubert recognizes, both consciously and unconsciously, that Emma speaks for him. His extreme scorn of her contemptible traits suggests his own guilt; as he rebukes her, he rebukes himself. In portraying Emma

as an apathetic, detached, and even abusive mother, Flaubert reveals his guilt over his unorthodox attitude towards fatherhood. He writes that he “would curse [him]self if [he] were to become a father,” and he implants this idea into Emma’s character (Vargas Llosa). Emma initially displays mild curiosity about becoming a mother, but after giving birth to a baby girl she quickly loses any interest in parenthood. She delegates responsibility almost entirely to the nurse, instead focusing solely on herself and her extramarital affairs. In the weeks of planning her clandestine escape with Rodolphe, “the subject of her child never came up”; she spends a night in Rouen with Léon without ever considering the impact on her daughter (173). Emma seems to forget that she is a mother. She tries to rewrite her reality, as if her marriage and child do not exist. But despite her determination, her life is not the first draft of a novel waiting to be revised. And although, unlike Flaubert, she might not actively “curse [herself]” for becoming a parent, she certainly gets no pleasure or satisfaction from the role. Flaubert makes Emma universally reprehensible for her lack of maternal feeling and behavior. In so doing, he communicates his expectation that he too should be disdained for his aversion to building a family. Moreover, in condemning Emma, he pronounces upon himself the condemnation he believes he deserves. Flaubert derides Emma’s personality, an embodiment of the bourgeois attitude that he abhors: “intellectual and spiritual superficiality, raw ambition, shallow culture, a love of material things, greed, and above all a mindless parroting of sentiments and beliefs” (Davis). He underscores her bourgeois nature throughout the novel, but especially through her attraction to Léon. In describing Léon’s talents—he “[knows] how to read the treble clef,” and he sits down with a book after dinner “when he [is] not playing cards”—Flaubert scorns his “shallow culture” (75). Ostensibly lauding Léon for his musical aptitude, the passage in fact points out that Léon cannot read the bass clef; it highlights his preference for the lowly pastime of cards. Emma’s bourgeois nature becomes laughably evident during her relationship with Léon, for she cannot discriminate between “intellectual… superficiality” and genuine learning and refinement. Flaubert counts himself a member of the bourgeoisie, yet he appears to epitomize intellectual vigor, divergent thinking, and creative achievement—its very opposite. His selfdeprecation seems disingenuous, but perhaps he proclaims his bourgeois nature out of terror of being

27 deemed mediocre. Flaubert finds ever more faults in Emma. Paradoxically, despite her marital infidelity, Emma craves and readily offers commitment in her extramarital relationships. During Emma’s affair with Rodolphe, she asks him for a ring “as a symbol of everlasting union”; later, she believes that she and Léon are “destined to live [in Léon’s house] till they died, as an eternally young husband and wife” (148, 235). Emma yearns for “everlasting” and “eternal” romances, so she prolongs her affairs even while “rediscovering in adultery all the platitudes of marriage” (257). Through Flaubert’s depiction of Emma, we learn to see her not only as treacherous and depraved but also as pathetic. Emma’s relationships seem scandalous, but her goals—faithfulness, commitment—are conventional, bourgeois. In attacking his protagonist, Flaubert again reveals his disdain for the bourgeoisie and for himself as a so-called member of that group. Emma always succumbs to temptation. In sending for Monsieur Lheureux “twenty times in the

course of the day,” she demonstrates her inability to deny herself gratification (230). Flaubert, on the other hand, describes himself as being “born with a whole bunch of vices that never poked their noses out the window”; his own sinful wishes remain hidden and not realized (Vargas Llosa). Although Flaubert deplores Emma’s thoughts and actions, she enables him to vicariously submit to desire. Flaubert not only condemns himself through Emma, but lives through her as well. ◙ Works Cited

Davis, Jack. Interview about final body paragraph. 1/17/16. Flaubert, Gustave. Madame Bovary. Trans. Lydia Davis. New York: Viking, 2010. Print. Levy, Susan. Interview about relationship of body paragraphs. 1/16/16. Stevenson, Randell. Modernist Fiction: An Introduction, Second Edition. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print. Vargas Llosa, Mario. The Perpetual Orgy: Flaubert and Madame Bovary. Trans. Helen Lane. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1986. Print.

DEMIN HAINES

the

world

according

ARTISTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STATEMENT I chose these photographs because, although they are different genres, they all require a great deal of attention to detail and patience. For the macro photographs, it is extremely difficult and laborious to search for these tiny creatures that can measure only a couple of millimeters in width. And once you find them, things sometimes don't get much easier. Waiting for them to pose and move to an attractive location can take hours and making sure the shot is sharp is another challenge.

I also wanted to include the long exposure photograph from inside the car because it shows that I enjoy playing around and experimenting with unique perspectives. Deming Haines 2016

FEATURED ARTIST

LAUREN

MILLER

Q&A

In which medium do you prefer to work? Why? Charcoal, because I find it easy to manipulate to create a lot of contrast. You’ll see that most of my work is in black and white (and charcoal). I am also a big fan of pen and ink.

What is your favorite element of design to manipulate? Why? (Color, shape, size, form, line, texture, value) I’d have to say value. I like to work with the color black, a color that can have many values (just like any other color), so it is important for me to create a scale of values that is appropriate for the work. For example I might incorporate multiple values with something I am trying to give shape to, like a 3-D effect. Value is also very useful when trying to show how two or more objects relate.

process if you can even call it one. Your drawings are incredibly lifelike. How do you achieve such photorealistic representations? When I am drawing a person I don’t try to see a person, I try to see shapes. It is very hard to draw a person or a particular object if you are thinking of it as that person or that particular object. I have realized my eyes notice little details that I wouldn’t have noticed a couple years ago, because of repetition. I draw A LOT. I think that helps.

Most of my work has been started in the middle of the night.

What inspires you? Personal experiences. Who is your favorite artist? What draws you to him/her? I don’t have a favorite but I currently like M.C. Escher. I recently went to his exhibition at NCMA. He is a very unique thinker. Describe your artistic process. First I’ll say I am very bad about doing two essential steps that are helpful for most artists: sketching and research. Usually when I start a piece it is very spontaneous. Most of my work has been started in the middle of the night. I currently have six uncompleted works sitting around my house that I will probably go back to at some point. I have a very disorderly artistic

Do you perceive yourself as more an artist or a designer? Why? I would go with artist. Personally I think it is hard to differentiate the two. I don’t feel like I am at the point where I can call myself an artist yet. I just started branching off from doing the foundations of drawing and painting like observation, gesture, perspective, etc. I am now starting my own projects. I want to get a message across with my work and I want somebody out there to relate to whatever I am sharing. I think that then I can consider myself an artist. How do you envision your future career? All I see for my future at this point is a career that involves art. I honestly have no idea what my future holds for me because I am currently struggling with just picking a major for art college. I could see myself doing illustration, photography, designing video games, film and video, architecture, fine arts, graphic design, the list goes on. Thankfully most colleges offer undecided/foundation major as an option. ◙

I want somebody out there to relate to whatever I am sharing.

what is

BEAUTY

50 Henna Judge, president of the Class of 2016, examines the standard of beauty today. When a person walks into a room, they are immediately judged. Not for their intrinsic values and beliefs, as they perhaps should be, but for their outward appearance. Society judges a woman by the length of her legs, the pigment of her skin, the fullness of her lips, and the shininess of her hair. Society judges a man by his height, his physique, and how cut and muscular he is, and the broadness of his shoulders. Regardless of gender, these external features are our indicators of how “beautiful” a person is, which in turn affects the way we perceive them. Throughout history, these standards of “beauty” have evolved and heightened, growing more unattainable and spanning further away from what we are biologically capable of achieving. Although this concept of beauty remains destructive to our society, we continue to allow it to not only survive, but to flourish and proliferate. But suppose our definition of “beauty” were to shift: suppose, when posed the question of what we consider beautiful, we thought not of physical features, but of internal ones. Would the torturous standard with which we burden ourselves cease to exist? No, it would not. The American standard of beauty, while unattainable, ultimately remains an inevitable part of any society, even if by another name other than “beauty.” Our definition of beauty constantly revolves around a sphere of physical characteristics, making it impossible to attain. There are numerous factors that play into the ever-changing list of prerequisites to be considered “beautiful”; namely location, age, biological inclinations and fads. Our location can determine whether having dark or light skin is more glamorous. Or age can determine whether it is better to be tall and skinny or short and curvy. Our biological inclinations can determine whether we prefer big noses or small noses. Fads can determine whether we hold more value in having high cheekbones or having

a more rounded face. All of these aspects contribute to our perception of beauty; however, it is seldom that we watch a person enter a room and reserve our assessment of their beauty and worth until after we have met and spoken with them. As we progress as a society, we view certain traits with more respect than we do others, and often take unhealthy strides to emulate these traits for ourselves. Makeup, hair products, facial creams and gels, and a variety of other products make changing our outward appearance an attainable enough feat, until one day we discover that you cannot use a brush and foundation to utterly transform the shape of your neck or the curve of your jaw, which is where plastic surgery comes into play. Plastic surgery is thought to be a standard practice amongst affluent socialites and celebrities, when, in reality, there are average human-beings saving every penny just so that they can change the size of their breasts or the makeup of their facial features. The Democratization of Beauty contends that, “According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, approximately 860,000 cosmetic surgery procedures were performed in 2002…” With such high numbers, it is evident that certain beauty regimens are extending past what is generally healthy not only for our bodies, but for our self-esteem. Doll Face, a short YouTube film, features a robot with a face which resembles that of a human’s. After a TV is turned on, portraying a young woman with full, red lips, and penciled in eyebrows, the robot attempts to recreate the look on herself, painting on makeup to resemble the woman in the TV. Moments later, the TV swings up, further away from the female robot, and plasters the same woman on its screen, only this time, the woman has even higher cheekbones and more dramatic features. The robot soars up to reach the screen and once again attempts to emulate the look of the woman on the televi-

51 sion. This cycle continues for a few more rounds until, finally, the robot begins to falter and eventually breaks, unable to soar any higher to meet the standard that the woman in the TV has set for it. Doll Face is a perfect representation of the lengths a person will go simply to achieve what he or she believes to be unequivocal beauty. As the standard of beauty changes, so do our opinions, and so do our desires. One desire, however, remains stagnant and persistent: we desire beauty, and we wish for ourselves to be beautiful.

Men are at the helm of creating unrealistic criteria: mostly for women, but also for themselves. The constant perpetuation of an unrealistic standard of “beauty” by men, media, and numerous other sources serves as the reason why escaping an external “beauty standard” is impossible. Although we allow ourselves, to a certain extent, to be entrapped in an endless cycle of beauty standards and criteria, certain external factors play an even greater role in propagating these impossible principles. Men are at the helm of creating unrealistic criteria: mostly for women, but also for themselves. At the head of almost every major fashion house you’ll find a man leading a cavalry of designers and models to wear the clothes that they produce. The designers ensure clothing that is cut and revealing just enough, and the one-in-a-million models are leggy and thin, strutting down the runway with the ease, confidence, and, most importantly, appearance, to be perceived as “beautiful.” Patriarchy has found its way into America’s standard of beauty, and is an integral component to its evolution. Women desire the approval of men, and look to external “beauty” to attain it. Often, when a woman sees another woman, she judges her appearance not for folly, but because she has been programmed to believe that a physically attractive woman is competition for the attention of men, and this notion is only further advocated for and perpetuated by men. The media supports these claims of beauty, and plasters photographs of airbrushed and heavily-Photoshopped models all over the news, the internet, and the big billboards, which so obnoxiously find their way into our subconscious field of perception. Walking down the street has evolved into a bout of courage and confidence for most, as we are constantly alerted of the newest beauty standard, which we likely don’t possess, by the prominent advertisement right in front of us.

External appearance will always be held to a higher regard in society than the intrinsic characteristics that should be the true basis and definition of beauty. Although we could likely transform our definition of beauty to be an assessment of the internal traits that embody our personality, a standard for external features will always exist. This sentiment arises not out of pessimism, but of realism. While there may be periods when baggy eyes and cellulite are considered beautiful, they still remain standards that will continue to be perpetuated by the media and by society itself. Regardless of the harms that the current standard of beauty present, there will always be a standard, and there will always be criteria. As humans, we are biologically predisposed to find certain traits attractive and base our decisions off of those intrinsic perceptions. This is undoubtedly a flawed and erroneous way to distinguish our companions, as it unjustly scars our self-esteem and measure of self-worth, however it is the way humans have evolved century after century. We can perhaps change the way we define beauty: alter it in a way that is more healthy to our idea of self-worth, but the standard to which we hold ourselves to be skinny or curvy, to have long or short hair, or to be tall or short: that will always remain.

There will always be a standard, and there will always be criteria . . . We are biologically predisposed to find certain traits attractive. Beauty is a largely disputed topic in the world. Discussions of how we perceive it and why we perceive it in the way we do are often the most interesting, as they remain the most relatable. Throughout history, we have maintained a beauty standard that continues to ebb and flow as society progresses and meanders through the years, yet never has it been based purely upon intrinsic values and traits, and it likely never will be. This constantly evolving definition of beauty is an idea that is unattainable, unhealthy, and, for the most part, permanent. We may one day define beauty as the kindness in our hearts or the reverence in our words or the authenticity in our promises, but never will a standard for our physical appearance cease to exist. It will be reborn and reincarnated for centuries to come, and that is an unescapable part of the way we are bred. ◙

CAT COBB

Combining intelligent art with a design sensibility, Cat Cobb owns her aesthetic.

CLAIRE DOYLE These photos were taken at a bonfire sometime back in the beginning of the year. They were the first real photos I took with my camera, (a Nikon D3200), other than some test shots when I removed it from the packaging. I was just figuring out the ISO settings, and in general had no idea what I was doing. After messing around with the ISO and mode, I began to get some of the “good distortions” I desired, as opposed to the overly-grainy/grey/”I forgot my finger was on the shutter” look. The series to me is about individuality, unity, exposure and lack of exposure. In the daylight all our physical features are illuminated and visible, but in the night the detail fades from our faces to show only the framework of our bones. If contrast hides detail, but highlights structure, is day or night more revealing? Is the essence of a person found in their bones or by the embellishments they hang upon their walls? Do outside glimpses speak greater truth than deliberate self-reveal? We are all merrily 206 bones, strung together by an array of atoms, for purposes unknown. When the light dissolves, the concept of physical beauty is replaced by unity, the unity we find in knowing we are all a part of humanity.