[proof] Spring 2022 by [proof]

[proof] spring 2022

about Published three times annually, [proof] is Palo Alto High School’s fine arts and photography magazine. Since being established in 2010, we have strived to showcase Paly’s vibrant and diverse artistic community, covering a variety of styles and backgrounds. Our mission is to showcase student and local artwork and artists, educate others in the arts, and promote creative thinking among our readers. from the editors Hello readers! Our second issue of the 2021-2022 school year focuses on the increasingly complex relationship between art and technology. As the world continues to operate online, artists have turned to digital media to produce and display their work. In “Artificial Intelligence,” we explore new methods of computer art generation with guest artist Franklin Wang, and in “The Art of Robotics,” we feature the Paly Robotics Art Subteam. Our cover story, “Costume as Character,” focuses on the use of costuming and other behind-the-scenes design tactics to aid storytelling in Zendaya’s Euphoria. At the same time, we also explore older technologies and methods in “Cyanotype Printing” and “One Stitch at a Time.” In our final issue as editors-in-chief, we’re excited to share our work with you—and we hope you enjoy it! — Neil and Alison

outside cover: sana muneyb

mission statement [proof] Magazine, Palo Alto High School’s student-run fine arts and photography magazine, is dedicated to showcasing student artwork and faciliating creative discussion about issues in the arts. [proof] is distributed to its readers in the student body at no cost.

letters to the editors The [proof] staff welcomes letters to the editors, but reserves the right to edit all letters for grammar, length; potential libel, invasion of privacy, and obcenity. Send all letters to proof.paly@ gmail.com or 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94301.

editors-in-chief

staff

neil rathi alison xiong

olga muys madelyn castro annelise balentine sana muneyb

advisor

sandhya krishnan franklin wang rowan nag evelyn zhang

paul kandell journalism instructor palo alto high school pkandell@pausd.org

inside cover: jade arellano-vargas

advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts given they are not deemed innapropriate for publication by the editors. For more information on advertising with [proof], please email proof. paly@gmail.com, or see the contract at https://tinyurl.com/incubeadcontract.

printing & distribution [proof] is printed three times, with issues seasonally (Winter, Spring, and Summer) by aPrintis in Pleasanton, CA. Issues are handed out by [proof] and other incubator staff during school. Issues are available online at https://issuu.com/proofpaly.

alison xiong

CONTENTS 8 the art of robotics

9 artificial intelligence 10 costume as character 14 cyanotype printing 18 clubs profile 19 astrophotography 20 one stitch at a time 24 student gallery

[features]

madelyn castro

The art of roboticS text & photos by madelyn castro

hen most people think of robotics, they might envision lab work, late nights in a room full of machinery, or competitions with fellow student engineers and builders. However, that’s not all there is to it. Although it’s one of Palo Alto High School’s most popular extracurriculars, there’s an aspect of Paly Robotics that many students overlook: the arts. “I think that the art team is underrated,” says Junior Ariana Cao, who has been on the art team since her sophomore year. Over time, she has noticed that people tend to downplay the importance of art in a STEM dominated extracurricular. “I don’t think a lot of people know what the art team actually does,” says Cao. “When you think of art it sounds really fun, but there’s also a lot of all-nighters and a bunch of hours that are put into it, especially with our animations.” As part of the national FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), which Paly Robotics competes in yearly, the art team creates an animation that fits a given prompt. This past year, they were prompted to create an animation that represents how to ensure that new transportation methods are safe for people and the planet. In their animation, two trains race with the more modern (and safer) train winning. “The product [animations] may not always be amazing or Pixar Studios quality but if you look closer and see what the art team is doing, you see the amount of effort put into it,” Cao says. Their animations take hours to complete, with some production nights ending at midnight. The artistic elements make the art team perfect for those who

the art of robotics

want to participate in robotics but are more interested in design, such as sophomore and Product Manager, Naomi Tan. “The beginning creative design process is a lot of fun, when we’re still figuring out what we want to do. We’re all throwing out ideas on the table.” Tan says. Although it is not always thought of in relation to robotics, Tan is certain that the art team’s contributions to the school and the community have proven to be important and unique to the arts. “On the outside it may seem like we don’t do much and that our contributions aren’t as great as the build team, but we still specialize in a domain which is just as beneficial,” Tan says. Additionally, the art team is in charge of publicizing robotics through the creation of merchandise, designing the hoodies, t-shirts, and pins that represent the team. Using digital illustrations, they create the designs for the majority of their work. “One of the main things about merch is that it’s something that most teams have to show spirit and unity,” Cao says. “If you’re all wearing the same hoodie it’s like ‘oh okay they’re from Team 8’ and for us…we can show off the Robotics Team.” Cao and other art members have also partnered with organizations such as Ability Path, which aims to empower people with special needs. The art team has created a colorful rock climbing wall and an under-thesea themed sensory box for Ability Path to help children with sensory issues. “The stuff we do for Ability Path, the rock climbing wall and the child [sensory] box, there are going to be children using and seeing our art… it’s benefiting people,” says Cao. From creating animations for competitions, to publicizing the team, to community service work, the art subteam is a critical, yet relatively unknown part of Team 8.

artificial intelligence text by neil rathi & alison xiong art by franklin wang

rtificial Intelligence, or AI, has been increasingly popular in recent years to perform tasks involving language, vision, and computation — and surprisingly, computer art generation. Machine learning algorithms that create this art are powered by large datasets consisting of thousands of images. They then “learn” patterns in these images to automatically generate entirely new works. While the idea of machine learning is far from new, the exact technique used to generate images in this way was created in 2021 by a team of German scientists. These images are created by two algorithms: Connecting Text and Images (CLIP), created by OpenAI, and Vector Quantized Generative Adversarial Network (VQGAN), developed by Google. The first step in image processing is to use CLIP to identify how well a given text caption matches an image; for example, CLIP would assign the caption “white fluffy dog” a higher score than “brown cat” for an image of a poodle.

After the caption scores are determined, VQGAN then generates randomized images, essentially working as a file compressor, taking images and “compressing” them down into a set of numbers. To create the final image, VQGAN tries to generate an image that best matches a given caption, as determined by CLIP. The inputs in VQGAN are then slightly shifted to continuously increase the CLIP score, which lets the AI algorithm generate an image that best matches the caption. Still, the algorithm here isn’t completely self-sufficient — it still requires some human input. To make the images visually interesting, they need to be manually collaged together. Even then, some images become repetitive, so the human artist can set different regions of the image to different captions to create movement. AI image generation is one of the most interesting new applications of machine learning technology, but it still has a ways to go in terms of truly creating art.

ai art

costume as

character 10

costume as character

how HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ uses clothing to its full storytelling potential

hen “Euphoria” first hit screens in June 2019, audiences were enthralled by its immaculate cinematography, dark realism, and charming yet deeply flawed characters, including protagonist Rue Bennett (Zendaya), a teenage drug addict. But what “Euphoria” managed to achieve was the extension of its aesthetics and costuming into the real-world fashion sphere. Suddenly, it seemed that everyone was donning glimmering rhinestones and mesh tops, towering heels and matching sets riddled with cut-outs. The costuming was much more than eye-candy. Curated and designed by Heidi Bivens, the outfits seen on “Euphoria” contribute to the story just as much as writer and director Sam Levinson’s script. Now, with the second season currently airing on HBO, the show has continued to prove itself to be a masterclass in storytelling through attire. “Euphoria” carefully toes the line between reality and fantasy, dealing with issues as real and severe as drug addiction and teen pregnancy all while having its high school characters wearing de-

Jasmine Kapadia as Cassie Howard

Victoria Liao as Lexi Howard

signer clothes and editorial makeup to school. Harsh, graphic violence coexists with iridescent, dreamy cinematography, mirroring contents the show itself as it follows the stories of characters as they navigate their own struggles with chasing fantastical highs in spite of the often crushing consequences. By making costuming so integral and reflective of its characters, “Euphoria” uses a character’s clothing — an often overlooked aspect of a piece of media — as a crucial storytelling device. Let’s take a look at the character of Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow). In the previous season, Lexi’s costuming was understated, simple, when compared to the rest of the cast. She wore lots of sweaters, tailored pants, and unassuming colors. This reflected her status as the passive girl-next-door. Lexi’s older sister, Cassie (Sydney Sweenie), has always been more outgoing: a shining, blonde beacon of attention and poor decision making. As a reaction to seeing her sister’s often chaotic life, Lexi is quite the opposite: uptight, cerebral, and intensely rational. However, season two brings about a change for her character, which is perfectly reflected in her costuming, while never losing the preppier

text by olga muys photos by sana muneyb

Kirtana Romfh as Maddy Perez

style she had before. Bland sweaters and pants are replaced by intriguing Pilgrim collars, and short, red, argyle dresses. Cassie similarly experiences costuming changes, though not in quite the same way as her sister. Reeling from a recent break-up and an abortion, and engaged in a secret relationship with her best friend’s abusive not-quite-ex-boyfriend, Nate (Jacob Elordi), Cassie is decidedly emotionally unstable. Reliant on the attention of those around her for a sense of worth, Cassie sets off on a merry-goround of increasingly-outrageous outfits and styles for even the slightest hint of public attention from Nate. Her ever-changing style during this season reflects her lack of personal identity: both she and her personal style are defined not by herself but by what she believes those around her want her to be. Maddy (Alexa Demie), Cassie’s best friend and Nate’s ex, has had the least dramatic change in her wardrobe from the prior season.However, the color palette of her skin tight dresses and matching sets has grown darker: lavenders and pinks are replaced by deep purples and black. Outwardly, she is sharper, harsher, though this conceals an internal sense of vulnerability following her break-up with Nate, her long-term boyfriend. Her long acrylic claws, knife-sharp winged eyeliner, and killer heels are an armor to her.

costume as character

The final character who has undergone a telling wardrobe shift is Jules (Hunter Schafer). During most of the first season, she dressed primarily in pale pastel colors and tennis skirts, her hair dyed a light pink—light, bubbly, hyperfeminine. However, throughout the season, she explores not only her own sexuality, but her relationship with femininity as a trans woman. She realizes that she had been attempting to affirm and define her womanhood in part through her soft, feminine clothing when in truth, she is a woman because she is a woman, regardless of who she loves or is loved by, regardless of the clothes on her body. By the end of the season, her wardrobe begins to incorporate darker colors and silhouettes more traditionally associated with men’s fashion, such as blazers and trousers. "Euphoria" utilizes costuming at a level not seen in many other current TV dramas, using them to heighten the sense of fantasy while simultaneously keeping the audience’s attention firmly tied to the characters and their evolution.

Emma Joing as Jules Vaughn

costume as character

CYANOT Y

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE.

PE PR INTI

Cyanotypes require exposure in the sunlight in order for the objects to imprint onto the paper.

the camera-less intersection of photography and printmaking

yanotyping, a type of camera-less photography, is a process of transfer printing that allows for image transfer through sunlight development. This unique process uses chemical solutions that coat cardstock in a darkroom. Then, small objects like flowers, trinkets, film negatives are placed onto the cardstock, to create an outlining design. After some short sun exposure, the objects are removed and the cardstock is put back into the darkroom. There, the chemical solution is removed by water and left to dry. Cyanotyping was originally used by pioneering researchers for transferring text, but is now used as a form of artistic expression. This year, photography teacher Kenna Gallagher took to her AP Studio Art class to share this printing process. “I want to be able to give my students a broad range of tools to potentially utilize toward their portfolios. Cyanotype is a photo process technically, so it’s in the photography vein but still not feeling like photography simultaneously,” said Gallagher. In the AP Studio Art class, students are required to select their best works of photography

cyanotypes

to submit as part of a portfolio to the AP exam. With cyanotyping, students will be able to add different modes of photography to their portfolios to showcase their skills. “I was really surprised at how easy the process was and how unlimited the possibilities were to create a product,” said Kylie De La Cruz, a current AP Studio Art student. “A person can use practically any medium that can absorb the solution (paper, canvas, cloth) and place any desired objects on top. One can experiment with exposure time, the intensity of exposure, and even layer cyanotypes.” Although cyanotyping can be considered an old mode of photography, it still is able to bridge the gap between photography we know today compared to what photography started as. “I think there’s this strain between commercial digital photography and fine art film photography that creates a disconnect where an interesting genre of photographers are trying to bridge the gap between the two”, said Gallagher. “They bring in the film feeling with digital techniques and tools.”

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cyanotypes

celebration ads The Palo Alto High School community cares about its artists and photographers. So do we. That’s why we’re looking to join forces with you to celebrate the artists, organizations and causes that you care about most. Please consider purchasing a “Celebration” advertisement for one of our upcoming print editions — one for March, and one for May. Just fill out the form on this page and send it to us (via email at proof.paly@gmail.com) by Feb. 1 or April 1 for your ad to be included.

The [proof] staff publishes “Celebration” ads with signed contracts provided they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. Please note: supporting a cause through Proof’s “Celebrate” advertising is not the same as directly supporting a photographer or photographic organizationg by purchasing or otherwise sponsoring their work. For more more details about advertising requirements, email proof.paly@gmail.com. Thank you for your help supporting Palo Alto High School Media Arts.

Honor an artist, photographer, or arts organization with a “celebration ad” your message 1. _________________________________________________ Your name as you would like it to appear (for example: The Smith family)

2. _____________________________________________________ Name, organization or cause you would like to support (for example: Palo Alto Art Center)

3. _____________________________________________________ Additional message or details about an image you would like to include

your information name:

________________________________________

phone:

________________________________________

email:

________________________________________

signature:

________________________________________

This contract can be submitted as a scanned file (to proof.paly@ gmail.com) or physically to a [proof] staff member. Note: All terms and conditions from the general Incubator advertising contract at https://anthromagazine.org/advertising/ apply to this submission.

payment 1/8 page ($50)

1/4 page ($100)

1/2 page ($200)

full page ($400)

PayPal (donate to MAC Boosters at palymac.org/home/mac-boosters/) Check (make check out to “Palo Alto HS,” and put “[proof] Magazine” in the memo) Send the form (and the check, if using) to the following address: Journalism Incubator c/o Paul Kandell Palo Alto HS 50 Embarcadero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94301 Paly Media Arts Boosters is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization Tax ID# 462866404

the Wong Family joins [proof] in celebrating

Kamila Wong

Paly photographer the Lee Family joins [proof] in celebrating

Sophia Lee Paly artist

[proof] celebrates

Jade Arellano-Vargas Paly photographer

[proof] thanks the following sponsors for supporting publication of the magazine:

The Rathi Family Platinum sponsors

The Xiong Family Platinum sponsors

Paly PTSA If your would like to support [proof] as a sponsor, contact us at proof.paly@gmail.com celebration ads

CLUBS! CLUBS! CLUBS! CLUBS! text by madelyn castro // design by olga muys

in Paly clubs, students explore artistic interests PALY STUDENT INSITUTION OF THE ARTS Meets lunch Wed. Room 101 Presidents: Vivian Trach and Kyle Park Email: viviantrach@gmail.com

THESPIAN CLUB

Paly Institution of the Arts is a club which celebrates artistic creativity on the Paly campus. Their aim is to create a space in which students can freely share and improve their work, as well as to offer help to students interested in learning new skills. The club also does community service work on beautifying public spaces using work from the club.

CREATIVITY FOR CHANGE Meets lunch Tues. and Thurs. Room 403 President: Angela Wan Email: angela.wan1223@ gmail.com In Creativity for Change, club members work together to create a comic book throughout the school year as a creative publishing house to affect positive change. This includes activities like creative writing, scriptwriting, and editing opportunities, both in front and behind scenes. 18

clubs profile

INSTYLE CLUB Meets lunch Mon. Library Classroom President: Eliza Roth Email: er30740@pausd.us InStyle Club holds discussions on the history of fashion and current trends. The club promotes body positivity, and club members are able to share their favorite elements of style and clothing in an inclusive environment to explore fashion and all it has to offer.

Meets lunch Thurs. PAC President: Anneke Salvadori Email: as43767@ pausd.us The Thespian Club works hand in hand with the Paly Theatre program to promote shows in the performing arts center and participate in statewide, national, and international events as a part of the International Thespian Society. Paly thespians consist of actors and technicians working together to create at least three productions each year.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

Paly senior Rowan Nag turns his camera to the skies

aking photos of the stars is often thought of as something reserved to high-tech laboratories with university telescopes. Palo Alto High School Senior Rowan Nag, however, does it in his own backyard. “Astrophotography is taking photos of the sky, the night sky,” Nag said. “I didn’t really notice it until I realized people were actually taking photos of the night sky in their own backyard; it’s not with university telescopes or the Hubble.” Nag has been doing astrophotography for the last year, capturing vivid starscapes through hours of data collection and careful editing. The key difference between normal photography and astrophotography is that the latter typically requires collecting hours of image data. While a single photo ends with one click of the shutter, Nag takes several of these photos for long periods of time, and then “stacks” them together using image technology. “You have to pull a lot of small pieces of color from basically nothing,” Nag said. To do this, Nag sets up a mount that tracks the stars he is photographing, and takes multiple photos over a period of time anywhere between one and eight hours. “Something that I would normally do is take 30 second, 60 second, or 120 second exposures,” Nag said. “I’ll take 100 to 400 or 500 of those photos every night, and as the stars move along the sky my mount will follow them, so I’m sticking to the same part of the sky.” While the com-

plexities of astrophotography may seem daunting to beginners, Nag says that he was able to start doing it with limited equipment. “Originally I just bought a mount and used a DSLR and a zoom lens I already had to take pictures of the moon and some bright nebulae and stuff,” Nag said. In fact, Nag’s favorite photo—of the Orion Nebula —is one of the first he’s ever taken. “It [the Nebula] only appears in midwinter time, so sometimes there’s a lot of clouds, but it’s very bright. So even just using a DSLR and a cheap refractor telescope, I was able to pick up the nebula with only five or ten seconds of exposure time.” Over time, Nag’s photography has become more advanced, and with it, his equipment as well. “Eventually I started upgrading my setup and getting more and more equipment, and now I’m able to take photos of a lot more things,” he said. No matter how advanced your equipment is, astrophotography can be intensive yet incredibly rewarding.

astrophotography

one stitch at a time

text by evelyn zhang and olga muys photos by annelise balentine

two Paly students find a creative outlet in making their own clothing

earch, click, buy, wear. In the modern era, shopping for new clothing is simpler and cheaper than ever, thanks to the advent of fast fashion brands. But with that convenience comes a number of trade-offs. Fast fashion brands are often poor quality, make use of unethical labor practices, and contribute heavily to the negative environmental impact of the fashion industry. With young people becoming more aware and concerned with the ethical and environmental concerns of the fast fashion industry, it’s no surprise many are turning to a more sustainable and individualized option: making the clothes themselves. One such student is Palo Alto High School senior Hillary Cheung. “Not only is it [making clothing] good as a creative outlet, but in terms of fast fashion, it’s definitely more friendly to the environment and more humane,” Cheung said. Cheung was first introduced to sewing in fourth grade when her dad bought a sewing machine, but only started to focus on her hobby during quarantine. At first, her interest stemmed from a place of boredom, but soon, she realized the benefits of making her own clothing. “It [sewing] was a mixture of boredom, and also I would look at stuff online and think like ‘ooh I want that,’ and then, ‘ooh that’s really expensive, I think MATCHING MASKS: Sophomore Asha Kulkarni took advantage of leftover scrap fabric by making face masks out of it. “I saw all the cool things my mom was making and I was like ‘that sounds fun, I wanna try that,” Kulkarni said.

one stitch at a time

it would be better if I made it myself,” Cheung said. “I think it’s a fun creative outlet. Being able to make something you can wear is really satisfying and it makes you feel like you’ve really achieved something.” Cheung said that making her own clothing has also encouraged her to be more creative and resourceful. One project, a colorful crocheted vest, was created out of scrap yarn she had accumulated during other projects. “That was fun and a little more challenging because I had a bunch of different colors in only very short pieces and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with them, but then I put them all together and made something really cool with them,” Cheung said. Another Paly student who creates her own clothing is sophomore Asha Kulkarni. Like Cheung, Kulkarni was introduced to sewing in late elementary school after noticing her mom sewing. Later, she decided to try it out for herself in her sixth grade Home Economics class. “I saw all the cool things my mom was making and I was like ‘that sounds fun, I wanna try that,” Kulkarni said. “The first thing I ever sewed was a pencil pouch with a zipper, then I started moving up to clothes.” Kulkarni loves the creative freedom that comes with making clothes, like the ability to experiment with different fabrics and add her own flair to popular styles, but she also appreciates the practical aspects. “Since I’m a small person, it’s hard to find clothes that fit me, so being able to modify the pattern and make it fit exactly is really helpful,” Kulkarni said. Recently, she has taken the current pandemic situation in stride and used it as an opportunity to learn to sew another piece of clothing: face masks. Since Kulkarni mainly uses cotton when she sews, the extra fabric can be craft matching masks. Both Cheung and Kulkarni enjoy the artistic leeway that comes with making their own clothing and the satisfaction of finishing a project. It’s a process that they believe is environmentally friendly and will be a step in the right direction away from fast fashion.

WITH THE TRENDS: Recently, crocheting has been gaining traction online. Following this, Paly senior Hillary Cheung crocheted a patchwork sweater at home. “Being able to make something you can wear is really satisfying,“ Cheung said. one stitch at a time

[gallery]

annelise balentine

paly student art gallery We’re incredibly grateful to have received many high-quality gallery submissions for this issue. Works were double-blindly evaluated by the editors. Email proof.paly@gmail.com to submit for our Summer 2022 issue.

sophia lee 24

gallery

annelise balentine

madelyn castro

kellyn scheel gallery

esther lan

renny argast 26

gallery

alexis arreola-gomez

kamila wong

olga muys gallery

CAMP MAC Palo Alto High School’s Journalism Summer Camp Who: Rising 8th and 9th grade When: August 1-5 from 9am - 3pm Where: Paly Media Arts Center Cost: $550

Camp MAC introduces rising 8th Scan the QR and 9th graders to journalism code or visit our through interactive workshops website at taught by members of Paly’s na- bit.ly/campmac tionally recognized publications. Students will learn about news writing, sports reporting, opinions, reviews and profiles while compiling their work in their own publication!