[proof] 2014-2015 Winter Edition

[proof] palo alto high school winter 2015

spotlight

6

Gwen Howard Betsy Franco Freaks and Geeks

the arts

14

Long Exposure Photography Paly Theatre Public Arts Digital Vs. Traditional

gallery Student Gallery Paly Staff Gallery

24

about Published twice a year, [proof] is Palo Alto High School’s fine arts magazine. Our production covers all aspects and mediums of art, featuring local, national, and international artists. Our mission is to showcase student talent and promote freethinking in the minds of students.

editors in chief Ana Sofia Amieva-Wang Margaret Li Emma Low George Lu

editors Gallery: Nicole Berry Spotlight: Rebecca Segars Text: Coby Parker Design: Danielle Bisbee Managing: Lina Awadallah Art: Siggi Bengston

staff Julia Doubson Tara Madhav Serina Nguyen Ailyn Ton Peter Turnbull Simon Wood Flora Yu

from the editors Hello readers! Thank you for supporting [proof] Magazine’s first issue of 2015. We have incorporated articles relating to the many different forms of art in the Palo Alto community.

Read about local artists, Paly choir and theatre, a comparison of digital and traditional illustration, and various other topics. In addition, the gallery showcases submissions from your fellow peers and staff.

We hope you enjoy exploring the magazine, and continue to follow our publication’s future releases.

Sincerely, The Editors

thank you We would like to acknowledge the Paly ASB and various other organizations around campus for their ongoing support. Thank you to the students and faculty for their thoughtful contributions and to the journalism department and all contributers to the MAC. Lastly, this publication would not exist without the guidance of Margo Wixsom, thank you for everything!

table of contents spotlight

6

Gwen Howard

8

Betsy Franco

10

Freaks and Geeks

12

the arts

14

Long Exposure Photography

16

Paly Theatre

18

Public Arts

20

Digital Vs. Traditional

22

gallery

24

Student Gallery

26

Paly Staff Gallery

32

cover photograph by Margaret Li contents photograph by Siggi Bengston

[SPOTLIGHT] ] [SPOTLIGHT

photograph by Siggi Bengston

SPOTLIGHT

[6]

GWEN HOWARD

HOWARD

Siggi Bengston

Music holds different meanings for every person. To local teen talent Gwen Howard, music is an authentic expression of her personality. Her songs, unique covers as well as original material, ranges from acoustic folk to post-rock. Howard provides listeners with an unbridled and raw glimpse into her creative genius.

Artists such as Andrew Belle, Jillette Johnson and James Vincent McMorrow have influenced Howard “heavily” as a musician. According to Howard, these musicians inspire her as humbling reminders of the tough road she has ahead.

“I hope to pursue a performance career in some capacity. Singing and songwriting is my passion, and I hope to be surrounded by music throughout my entire life,” Howard said. “If that means teaching or working on the business side, instead of performing, I will be happy, too. Although no matter what, I will always be making music.”

Howard, 16, describes her music as “emotional time travel” for her listeners. “I just want people to feel something while I perform,” Howard said. “Music has the ability to produce such strong and intense emotions… I love how just one song can bring back a moment from ten years ago or perhaps bring clarity to a current situation.”

In her performances, Howard appreciates variability in how an audience can interpret a song. “I also love how personal and individual music can be,” said Howard. “No one hears a song the same way. All of our tastes and ideas are reflected in our music preferences and that is insanely cool to me.”

One of the most important aspects of music to Howard is forging connections with her audience.“I want listeners to connect my music to their individual lives with the hope that it helps them through adversity or provides a medium in which they can express themselves more fully,” said Howard.

Howard added how she strives to be as original as possible in her songs and on stage.

“Authenticity is incredibly important to me in day-to-day life and I want to share a piece of myself in the hopes that I can help shape the identity of my listeners in some way,” said Howard.

Writing and recording music, either as a solo artist or with her band Human Parallel, comes as easily as breathing to Howard. She comes from a musical family where everyone plays multiple instruments and sings. Her interest in music began when she took a group singing lesson as a small child and evolved from there.

“I just started picking up every instrument I could find,” Howard said, “including the violin, viola, trombone, guitar and, of course, piano. I am most ‘me’ when at the piano, playing and singing. At the piano, I can express and feel emotions I would never be able to experience otherwise.”

To learn more about Howard and her upcoming performances, visit her Facebook page (link below). Additionally, downloadable content is available via SoundCloud. https://www.facebook.com/gwenhmusic https://soundcloud.com/gwen-howard

[7]

SPOTLIGHT

BETSY FRANCO Serina Nguyen

Betsy Franco, an experienced actress, playwright, film instructor, and artist talks about her novel entitled Naked and her career as an author. Many know her as the mother of actors James and Dave Franco and artist Tom Franco, but her personal work is admirable in and of itself.

Photo courtesy of Betsy Franco Q: What inspired you to write Naked, your most recent novel?

A: The sculpture garden at Stanford wasn’t installed until after I graduated, but I went to visit it a lot, and at one point I thought it would be a great setting for a novel. I didn’t know what was going to happen there, I just knew that a lot of people passed through and it was a compelling place. I would sit in the garden and think about the novel, and then one day a young friend of mine who went to Stanford invited me to a dance performance her class was putting on at the garden... The students each picked a sculpture and brought it to life.

They danced, moved, climbed trees and did all kinds of sorts of things, and I thought, “This is it! I’m going to bring one of these sculptures to life—a spirit could come out of one of the sculptures”. At that point, my poetry mentor Maria Damon, suggested that I look up Camille Claudel. She said that the sculptures in the garden were all by Rodin, but that his story was completely intertwined with another sculptor, Camille Claudel, who was brilliant in her time, a very feisty young woman. She was Rodin’s muse, his student, his lover, and she became an extraordinary sculptor herself.

Q: You have written scripts, plays, novels, and children’s books. What is your favorite to write?

A: I write everything all the time, but lately I’ve been focusing on novels and screenplays, particularly a screenplay of Naked. I don’t know whether it is really true but it seems that as my sons grow up, my books follow them. When they were little, I wrote picture books, but I kept changing genres, and now I’m up to novels. Also, along the way, James really inspired me to write whatever I wanted. He gave me the attitude: write whatever strikes you, why limit yourself? Currently, I’m spending most of my time on a new novel. It takes place in high school, The Awakening of Sarah Brown. I’m also revising a screenplay for Naked and promoting Naked with my son Tom who did the illustrations and the cover.

Q: What advice would you give to writers who are dealing with writer’s block?

A: One strategy is that I work on more than one project at once so that if I get weary, I don’t even call it stuck. I just realize I might need to change the focus for a minute, which anyone would naturally need to do... Also, I need to make a living so I am very motivated. I don’t want to do another job; I want to make a living as a writer. I have been fortunate enough to do that partly because of luck and hard work and partly because when I first started, I used my creativity to think of how to make writing work as a career as well as using my creativity to figure out how to do my art, whether it was writing or another medium. So, if I’m not in the mood to write, I just write anyway. I never write a novel unless I know the beginning and the ending, by the way.

Visit her website for more information about her upcoming events: www.betsyfranco.com

WORKS OF ART

WORKS OF ART Julia Doubson

In December 2013, during the stress and chaos of finals, Carissa Zou 16’ and Karina Chan 16’ decided they needed a creative outlet. Zou, then vice president of the Palo Alto High School Youth Community Service-Interact Club (YCS), and Chan, an avid artist, wanted to create a club that combined their passions for community service and art.

In early 2014, Works of Art was created with a goal to engage students with global issues through interactive art. Their past projects have included raising awareness for AIDS in Africa, supporting a culture of recycling, spreading the word about the Calif. drought and hosting an e-waste drive. Their current project tackles gender equality, especially regarding the imposition of damaging standards placed on children at a young age. Boys are pressured to “man up,” while the media instills unrealistic images of ultra-feminine and disproportional bodies upon girls. To illustrate this problem, Works of Art is making a sculpture of gender symbols.

Elana Quint, a student at Catalina Foothills High School in Ariz. is a friend of Anna Lu, VP. When the club members changed their Facebook profile pictures on Club Day, Quint became interested in Works of Art and was inspired to start her own chapter at her high school.

Works of Art hopes to continue spreading their mission beyond Paly. In the future, they plan on adding a Gunn chapter, displaying their pieces in the Palo Alto Art Show and involving more of the Palo Alto community.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.worksofartclub.com

photos courtesy of Works of Art

SPOTLIGHT

FREAKS AND GEEKS Coby Parker

Actor, painter, writer, and former Palo Alto High School (Paly) student James Franco visited in October to contribute his art, displaying his pieces around campus.

Franco (class of ‘96) first contributed a large mural on the walls of the student center. He also presented other paintings, featuring recreated images from past Paly yearbooks. The yearbook, to Franco, captures people in their youth developing into the complex individuals they will become, and creates snapshots of memories to be looked back upon with nostalgia.

Some of Franco’s abstract pieces throughout the Paly campus feature bright color interspersed with otherwise black and white subjects.

A set of paintings hangs in the library, depicting a television show “Freaks and Geeks,” in which Franco starred. Each word of the show’s title is separated into different paintings, and the characters featured are either in the “Freaks” piece or the “Geeks” piece.

Another canvas hangs in the library: an ampersand symbolizing a sense of unity among students and the inclusiveness of the Paly community.

Franco is an advocate of arts in education, especially at Paly, and hopes to return one day to teach an art class. At an event in the Media Arts Center at Paly, Franco presented his collection of paintings and previewed his new film, which displays the process of creating the works of art and the reception it has recieved.

[10]

ARI TAYMOR

TAYMOR

Danielle Bisbee New American cuisine is a surge of modern cooking that fuses Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean, and French cuisines. Upscale restaurants are now serving it across the United States. Ari Taymor, a graduate of the Palo Alto High School class of 2003, is the current owner of Alma, a trendy restaurant in the Fashion district of Los Angeles.

Alma offers a fixed, ten course tasting menu tht can cater to alternative diets (the Vegetarian option is pictured).

Alma uses a variety of fresh and local ingredients, providing the best New American cuisine to be found in the city.

Q: When did your interest in cooking begin? Was your goal always to start your own restaurant?

A: I got interested in cooking when I was about 20, studying abroad in Australia. I cooked for myself because I had been having health problems from processed food. When I went back to school to finish my degree in international affairs, all I could really think about was cooking and food. I thought maybe I might end up doing something in public health, but after graduating I started working in restaurants and caught the bug. From the minute I committed to cooking, opening my own place was my only goal.

Q: Your restaurant Alma uses fresh and local ingredients, and the fixed 10 course menu gives you a lot of creative control. How do you decide what to put on the menu?

A: Our menu is extremely seasonal, so to a large degree we are at the whims of nature, whether there has been enough rain, too many bugs, not enough sun, not enough frost, etc. Beyond that, the food is inspired by California. Nature, culture, history... everything. Sometimes a dish starts with a memory or an idea, and sometimes it starts with a product (a vegetable, animal, or fish).

Sometimes it is easier to come up with, sometimes it is very challenging. Beyond that the menu has to flow together; it has to have a diversity of textures and temperatures, as well as fluctuation between savory and sweet to keep people from getting bored during a two hour meal. So a lot of different things have to come together to finally get a menu in place.

Q: Is there one dish in particular that stands out to you?

A: As for one dish, I could never pick. I have favorites that change constantly, and hopefully each one makes sense with our aesthetic and our philosophy.

photography by Danielle Bisbee

[11]

[THE ARTS]

artwork by Jasleen Sahota

THE ARTS

LONG EXPOSURE

Lina Awadallah & Siggi Bengston

If you happen to find yourself under a sky full of stars or at the beach with subtle waves, long exposure photography is a great way to capture the moment. It is a genre of photography where the shutter speed is slowed in order to depict movement. A surreal effect ensues as all movement within the composition is blurred. The longer the exposure time, the more blurred the movement will be. The amount of time the shutter is open depends on the effect desired. Long exposure shots can be taken during the daytime or nighttime, and range in subject matter.

TRY IT YOURSELF 1 2 3 4 5 6

[13]

Before you start shooting, make sure the weather conditions are appropriate for the image you want to create.

Using a tripod is necessary, so securely set it up in your chosen environment.

Lock the camera’s focus on the subject.

Adjust shutter speed, ISO, and aperture and take a test shot.

a. Shutter speeds can range from 1/60 of a second to five minutes or more.

b. For ISO, use a low setting to avoid noise.

c. When adjusting aperture, keep in mind what the shutter speed is because the longer the exposure, the smaller the aperture should be.

Continue adjusting until the desired effect is reached.

Have fun composing your images!

LONG EXPOSURE

Possible subjects and settings: Landscapes

a. Shutter speed: 30+ seconds

b. ISO: 100-200 Starry skies

a. Shutter speed: 1+ hours

b. ISO: 200-400 People

a. Shutter speed: 2-4 seconds

b. ISO: 200 Highways

a. Shutter speed: 15-25 seconds

b. ISO: 100 Waterfalls & streams

a. Shutter speed: 2-8 seconds

b. ISO: 200

photography by Ashley Crichton Siggi Bengston [15]

THE ARTS

KIENITZ PRODUCTIONS Nicole Berry Palo Alto High School (Paly) Theater’s first production of the year, “Stinky Cheese Man,” directed and written by Tony Kienitz, combined many beloved childhood characters into one play. The fun, light-hearted play was opened to a young audience, including students from various elementary schools in the Bay Area. Costumes and sets helped bring the story to life, and engaged the audience. The comedic twist on well-known stories and characters offered a fresh perspective into the fantasy of classic stories we all know and love.

This year’s fall play was “A Server of Two Masters,” a work meant to display the frivolous teenage culture of Silicon Valley. The play was adapted from the well-known work, “A Servant of Two Masters” written by Carlo Goldoni. Tony Kienitz took the classic work and added modern, high-tech humor seen in today’s society. When writing this production, Kienitz used student feedback to make the play more engaging and to create a responsive audience. Under the direction of Kathleen Woods, the actors improvised and updated the scripts in between performances. The theater department hoped to show a new, modernized, and relatable production with this performance.

Auditions are currently being held for the upcoming musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” directed by Kathleen Woods. The show will open on March 6-8 and 12-14.

[16]

photography by George Lu Alex Merkle-Raymond

CHOIR

PALY CHOIR

Rebecca Segars Pictured is Palo Alto High School choir, practicing for the Madrigal Feast performance, an event that fundraises their performance tours to Europe and Disneyland. The Madrigal Feast occurs in mid-December, with multiple seats available for different prices. The event features extravagant costumes and decorations and is hosted in the small gym.

The 80-member student choir represents a tradition of the school’s finest voices. Students are divided into multiple choirs including five a capella groups, a concert choir, spectrum singers and a beginning choir.

Danielle Bisbee photography courtesy of Paly Choir

[17]

THE ARTS

PALO ALTO’S PUBLIC ART Tara Madhav

Palo Alto is home to a diverse collection of public art, ranging from murals to sculptures, each with its own fascinating backstory. Fascinating art is literally just right around the corner in your neighborhood. With commentary from City of Palo Alto Public Art Manager Elise Griffin DeMarzo, noteworthy pieces are discussed to bring awareness to the public art collection our community has on display.

Palo Alto Pedestrian Series, Greg Brown, Downtown Palo Alto Upon the recent death of acclaimed artist and Palo Alto High School alumnus Greg Brown (‘69), Palo Alto denizens reflect on his contributions to the town’s collection of public art.

Brown’s most famous pieces were his nine murals commisioned for the City of Palo Alto, titled Palo Alto Pedestrian Series. These whimsical murals are scattered across the downtown area, the details allowing them to appear deceptively realistic from a distance. Brown employed a painting technique called trompe l’oeil, meaning “trick the eye,” to give his paintings as authentic an appearance as possible. However, the quirky aliens found in many of the paintings provide a charming subject and contrast with the alarmingly real technique of Brown’s work. His murals are a flagstaff of University Avenue’s art, according to DeMarzo.

“Many people really associate Greg Brown murals with Palo Alto. He was definitely a treasured resident and entity here in Palo Alto and will be missed... those murals have been a big part of the identity of Palo Alto for a lot of people.”

Brilliance, Joe O’Connell, Palo Alto Main Library The newly named Rinconada Library, formerly known as the Main Library, is home to a series of metal sculptures named Brilliance, newly constructed in 2014. Brilliance is created out of text provided by the people of Palo Alto, with quotes wrapped around to create oblong structures.

DeMarzo enthusiastically talks about the new installations, which will add to the new campus.

“It’s [Brilliance is] six sculptures, and they are all wrapped in text that was sourced from the community in the languages that reflect the cultural diversity of the community. They will all light at night and slowly go through different color shifts, but there’s also a button on each of them, so you can push the button. If you want to make them all pink, you can make them pink, or whatever color you please.” The sculptures are touch-sensitive and are meant to encourage interaction and visual appreciation. They are sure to entertain visitors to the Art Center and Public Library.

PUBLIC ART Gay Liberation Monument, George Segal, Memorial Church at Stanford University The Gay Liberation Monument is a treasured piece of Stanford art, constructed and designed by George Segal. Located next to the breathtaking and grandiose Memorial Church, white plaster “people” congregate by a bench, their positions casual and slumped. The name of the piece evokes emotional resonance; Segal represents a man holding another man’s shoulder, to depict the closeness between two gay partners. Segal’s inspiration came from the Stonewall Riots in New York City, often considered the catalysts of the gay rights movement. He made two sculptures: one stands in New York City’s Christopher Park, the other on the Stanford University campus, installed in 1984. The Memorial Church sculpture has a tumultuous history on Stanford campus; graffiti plagued the artwork throughout the 80s and 90s, and it has been been the centerpiece of discussion in a lot of LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) rights conversations on campus. Today, the Gay Liberation Monument has come to represent acceptance, as the sculpture finally stands clean and without disruption - a marker of the more tolerant times we live in today.

Year of the Ocean, Oscar Castillo, California Avenue In the California Avenue underpass, a world of sea animals and plant life unfurls in a mural that may surprise some upon their first trip. The colorful pathway serves as a commuter tunnel for students and workers emerging from the Caltrain station. According to a Palo Alto Weekly article from 2000, Oscar Castillo first came up with the idea of the mural on his way to work, when he likened the rumbling train to the sound of the ocean. He then painted the piece with a group of student artists.

The Year of the Ocean, which pays respect to 1998’s International Year of the Ocean (by declaration of the UN, a year to increase awareness and education about our oceans), is a beautiful creation. It has turned a tunnel used primarily for convenience into a work of art that many can stop at and appreciate, even during their busy lives. The tunnel was commissioned in 1998 and created in 2000; its 14 years as a public work have taken a toll, according to DeMarzo. “It’s unfortunately really deteriorated and there’s been a lot of discussion with the community groups with the changes taking place at that plaza. I know the community really wants to address that tunnel and there are plans in the future to work with the community to make a better plan for that,” said DeMarzo. As the tunnel continues to serve as a vehicle for California Avenue transportation, its accompanying artwork will undergo changes allowing it to continue being an escape from an otherwise non-engaging environment.

THE ARTS

D I G I T A L VS. Flora Yu

TRADITIONAL

In a rapidly changing 21st century where seemingly impossible and life-altering advances have been made, the increased use of technology has led to the creation of new art forms and techniques. Characterized by the use of digital technology—tablets, online programs such as Photoshop—digital art has become increasingly popular among rising artists and mainstream media. Featuring bright, saturated colors and incredible detail in line work, programs can create hyperrealistic paintings and effects. Digital art has also taken root in the art industry; its tools are used in graphic design and the animation of hit movies produced by well-known companies such as Pixar and Disney.

Ailyn Tong

Flora Yu [20]

Along with the expanding popularity of this media comes an influx of critics who favor traditional art. They believe that digital art is a form of cheating, reserved for artists who do not have the skill required for traditional art. This new era has created a fierce, ongoing debate about the value of digital art.

On one hand, traditional art preserves the methods that have been used for centuries. Nothing can quite duplicate the texture of pencil on sketching paper as authentically as a physical drawing instrument. Digital art cannot replicate the tangibility of brushes and paints; controlling a pen with a remote is a mere imitation. Popular programs, such as Paint Tool Sai and Photoshop, have a tool called “layers,” which allows the user to create multiple layers and work on them separately as collage pieces—making the process easier, cleaner, and more efficient. This is something traditional painting cannot do.

Ailyn Tong

DIGITAL VS. TRADITIONAL

Tina Su

However, digital art, with its own traits, can simply be interpreted as a different medium rather than an inferior art form.

Even though tools in programs may make some aspects of art more accessible, digital art brings its own set of challenges. Artists must learn to adapt to drawing on a digital device, such as a drawing tablet.

Though one can become accustomed to it, it requires a completely different skill set from physically drawing with a pencil.

Flora Yu

Tina Su

While digital art may compliment some artists’ styles, it does little in making the process easier or artistic abilities, and requires just as much hard work and effort. It is not worth any less than traditional art, nor can its pervasive influence be overlooked in everyday life.

[21]

[GALLERY]

photograph by Rebecca Segars

GALLERY

[ STUDENT

GALLERY ]

Ken Shin

Mary Champagne

[24]

Vivian Yang

STUDENT

Jake Doughman

Bryn Sullivan

Caitlin Drover

[25]

GALLERY

William Dougall

Anthony Liu

[26]

Katherine Shan

STUDENT

Adrian Wong

Vivian Yang

Nate Cook

DJ Nguyen

[27]

GALLERY

Corinne Smallwood

Samir Kothari

Tanner Newell

[28]

Gloria Gutierrez

Lina Awadallah

STUDENT

Maya Kandell

Gigi Rojahn

Xoee Margolis

Lena Chang

Karina Chan

[29]

GALLERY

Goli Chogi, Special Education

[30]

Craig Bark, English

[ STAFF

GALLERY ]

STAFF

Josep Vericat, Spanish

Kate McKenzie, Art

Kate McKenzie, Art

[31]