Strike Magazine Chattanooga: The Light Issue by Strike Magazines

CHATTANOOGA

ISSUE 03

THE LIGHT ISSUE

Co Editor-in-Chiefs Maggie Schut Carianna Hunter Creative Director Maggie Schut Externals Director Carianna Hunter Assistant Editor-in-Chief Sophie Hamblen Assistant Creative Director Emma Soefker Layout Designers Maddie Nunnery Emma Soefker Maggie Schut Carianna Hunter Sophie Hamblen Fashion Director Ragan Baker Stylists Grant McGuire Rian Blackman Edmo.nd Phillips Caroline Bowden Irene Park Joshua Cleveland William Chen Erica Benton Art Director Maddie Nunnery Graphic Designers KateLynn Fronabarger CJ Barney Marley Hillman Emma Soefker Brennen Purcell Stu McGuire

ISSUE 03 STAFF Production Director Maddi Thompson

Production Assistants Matt Crowe Sydney Gibson DD Hailey Anna Jones Madi Ammons Alex Akin Kyla Marcum Mila Bales Writing Director Hanna Bradford Writers AK Anderson Reese Cavitt Madison Meadows Aubrey-Anne Ross Zay Naeem Heaven Lanagan Jane Dodge Concept Editors Hanna Bradford Maggie Schut Blog Editor Jane Dodge Photographers Lee Webb Molly Bowman Mila Bales Carter Brownfield Makeup Artists KateLynn Fronabarger Irene Park Carianna Hunter Maddi Thompson

PR Director Alyssa Reynolds PR Assistants Amelia Madden Madison McKissack Hannah Williams Marketing Director MK Kirskey Marketing Assistants Kennedy Winrow Emma Sofia Griffin Ella Laughmiller Social Media MK Kirskey Emma Sofia Griffin

MODELS The Swing Virginia Chimley Brennen Purcell Isaac Neal The Kitchen Table Series Achok Alier Damien Kyle Courtney House Savage X Fenty Danielle Liechty Jesyah White Jackson Theodore Elena Nourabadi Kendall Robinson The Love Song Miles McKay Black Swan Emma Sofia Griffin

THANK YOU TO Barley Chattanooga Moxy Hotel Chattanooga Martin One Source Neat Pony Northside Neighborhood House

Cover graphic by Marley Hillman 1

Shedding Light Entering a dark tunnel, light is what guides us through. It is the driving force that signifies night and day. Moreover, it’s the pinnacle of our universe and what we revolve around, so why do we take it for granted? Why is it so easy for us to take a look at the refraction of light and see the beauty in the colors it makes, but not savor the magic before us? The epitome of light in its simplest form is defined as something that stimulates eyesight. However, when you take a longer look it brings about many other natural entities we have become accustomed to: color, time, and what lies in the dark. In this issue, not only do we take light in its literal form, but we also emphasize it in its metaphorical sense. Inspired by the works of artists through different time periods,The Light Issue is a work made to portray the realities in which we have come accustomed to: racial injustices, stereotypes within gender, and the standard of physique . Through the lens of an artist, we work hard to continually push these boundaries, and enter a new era of normality. Just like light in that sense, it is nothing but a depiction of time. By carefully choosing pieces that range from 1767 to 2019, we cover a range of many different social climates. These pieces and the stories they tell are the illumination in the darkness of today. I hope that you take this symbolic flashlight, and discover the ugly truths that lie in the dark.

on the Issue a letter from the editors

We start out every day as the first glint of sun crests into view. We emerge as light does, mimicking the ebbs and flows of sunrise to sunset. The climax of our day is when the light is brightest, until it recedes, and the hecticness has calmed once more. Light is a signifier of not only day and night, but the difference between good and evil, and a sign of value. Light has provided symbolic language in which artists communicate an idea across time. In The Light Issue, we pay homage to artists of different mediums by putting a spotlight on the intentional subtleties that light plays in their work. From the simple light fixture above Carrie Mae Weems’ kitchen table, to the animated neon display of the Savage X Fenty performance, light is the source of meaning. This is our interpretation and recreation of what light means to us.

TABLE OF The Swing

The Kitchen Table Series

Savage X Fenty 4

CONTENTS The Love Song

Black Swan

Photos by Molly Bowman

THE SWING This concept is inspired by Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s “The Swing” Painting of (1767)

A Timeless 8

Abundance of details, playful suggestions, and exuberant forms. Originating from 18th century France, the Rococo period brings to life an iconic masterpiece of this art movement: Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing. Fragonard created this painting in 1767, as French design began to shift from the classics of Versailles, to the ornamental and complex styles of the Rococo. This period elicited more self expression, excessively even, within the aristocracy—the high class elite members of society—who held the majority of France’s wealth during this time. So, as King Louis XIV’s death along with the declining of the monarchy, luxury and enormous amounts of creative freedom led artists, particularly Jean-Honoré Fragonard, to indulge in elaborate and romantic paintings such as The Swing. This oil on canvas piece was actually a private commission for a member of the French aristocracy, whose name is unknown. This project actually came to Fragonard unexpectedly: the painting was originally intended for another artist, but he considered it to be too lustful and promiscuous to complete. So, Fragonard took on the job since the other reluctant artist refused. Erotic in nature and surrounded by a lush garden, The Swing elicits emotions of freedom, elegance, and utter beauty. The woman, swinging in all of her effortlessness, is undoubtedly the center of attention: she is the epicenter of this canvas, and I can’t seem to take my eyes off her. Her ruffled, pastel pink dress perhaps symbolizes her youth and liberty. Opposed to typical depictions of women during the eighteenth century—usually with a child, expressionless—this woman is a source of abundant light. Taken aback by her illuminations, the woman’s husband and even the man looking up her dress cannot compare to her radiance. In 1767 the average French woman didn’t have the luxury of gallantly swinging above wishful men, but the woman here looks like she’s in her natural habitat. Soaring high above the literal male gaze, it seems as if the woman will swing out of the portrait into real life at any moment. The more I stare at her, the more life she exudes through her painted strokes. She makes me wonder, if all women during time in history were to behave in such free ways, what would be of life now? What if we had revealed our brightness sooner? All else would be blind.

Woman

by Madison Meadows

I do believe I have admired The Swing long before I became a writer. Long before I became a lover or a woman. I believe I have admired The Swing as a younger version of myself, someone unfamiliar with the power of a woman’s sex. This younger self is entranced with pigtails and small shoes, neck craned to adore the woman who is anything but a stranger to her in the strokes of oil paints within a frame. The woman’s sensual spotlight drips over her figure, making her almost angel-like and desirable. Her porcelain skin sits in great contrast to the lush greenery around her- an ode to love and lust and beauty in newness. Younger self wants to take her home, to hang her up in every room of her parents’ house. Not because the woman in the pink dress is the muse of men who want to ravish her, but because she is so elegantly blissful. She is beautifully coveted. She is the most free woman a little girl has ever seen in a still piece of art. Younger self wanted her share of that self-assurance and feminine energy that peeled itself away from the painting and into the world around us. At the time, I did not understand the power of art or the way it changes people. Fragonard swooned me and captured my desire before I even knew what desiring something felt like. I have grown into the painter’s woman on the swing more and more since I saw her for the first time.

Painting Womanhood by Hanna Bradford

Fragonard’s painting serves as a symbol of scandal and forbidden love. The woman on the swing, kept in motion by her husband, has also caught the admiration of a younger man. Why was this painted? So free and wild and unreserved in such a reputational time in history. I figure the taboo liberty of women has always been a thing of art. The untamed sexuality of women can only be gazed upon from a distance. Painters and poets will work forever to try and embody it; place it in the confinements of a picture frame and display it to the world with weary wonder. How brave of them, to expand their art into the uncharted territory of a woman’s lust and sexuality. Fragonard even went as far as to illuminate the feral woman in such a playful light. The landscape dancing around her, the men in the painting completely consumed by her clumsy indifference to all things elegant. The way light moves and functions in this piece could be largely understood as a bold statement from the painter himself. He gives seduction and secrecy in this syrupy and enchanting luminescence, giving a whole new meaning to the desires of a woman. The want for love and affection by a woman is not a crime or insult to society, it is an instinctive work of art. It is a playful toss of a shoe and a careless act of enchantment.

Photos by Mila Bales

THE KITCHEN TABLE SERIES This concept is inspired by Carrie Mae Weems’ photography sequence “The Kitchen Table Series” (1990)

form. The lighting continuously highlights only Weems herself. By doing this, it makes it obvious that she is the significant character in the series, and the viewer is naturally drawn to pay attention to only her. Illuminating Weems in this way suggests the significance of women in the household. Weems being at the head of the table, while also being one of the only constant subjects in the images, shows that women are key figures of society.

A New Light by Kushi Zaver

Carrie Mae Weems was born on April 20, 1953 in Portland, Oregon. She went to the California Institute of the Arts, the University of California San Diego, and the University of California Berkeley. Her work has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frist Center for Visual Art, the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, and various other museums. She has also won many awards like the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the BET Honors Visual Artist award.

When we were young we clung to our mothers because they were our comfort, and we could not bear to be without them. They were our entire world. Today, we have many women in our lives who are molding us into better people. Every woman you encounter teaches you something, whether you notice it or not. It may be as small as learning to cross your laces, or as impactful as setting a standard for your values. Women have consistently been dynamic leaders throughout history. They have achieved great things despite the scrutiny they have endured from society, telling them that they are less than and will never be enough. They have been an underrated, underappreciated guiding light.

She is known for her work in photography, capturing the mundane aspects of life. Her various works contain images of people staring in mirrors, holding food, etc. These activities may seem normal, but the props Weems utilizes are intentional and add purpose to the interpretation. Through the deliberate use of light and style, she enhances the deeper meaning and value behind the moments that may seem insignificant to the typical person. The lighting of the photos can be soft or harsh, depending on how she wants the image to be perceived. Weems’ ability to expose the ordinary is an inspiration to artists everywhere who continuously struggle to create new work that is enlightening while also enjoyable to look at. Throughout her career she has used photography to shed light on the significance of the little things in everyday lifelittle things such as sitting at the kitchen table every night. One of her most famous pieces of work is The Kitchen Table Series. The series consists of 20 images which depict a woman represented by Weems herself in various scenes at her kitchen table. The scenes show her with her daughter, with friends, getting her hair done, and other normal day to day activities. Through her work, Weems brings the underlying ambiance and emotions of life into a visual

The meaningfulness is

in the subtlety 23

As Weems expressed in an interview with W Magazine, she believes that the Kitchen Table Series is still relevant today because women are still undervalued and discounted in society, particularly in the art world. In the 90’s, women were gaining independence, but they were still extremely objectified and dehumanized. As much as they were making strides towards equality, they were continually treated in a lesser manner. Weems’ piece highlights her as a mother and wife, which was the role that society put on her at the time the work was created. People pushed the narrative that women were not capable of doing anything else because they were believed to be below men. While these issues are still relevant today, women are far more independent and vocal about problems at hand and solutions they would like implemented. The series started with Weems wanting to create images that were like nothing anybody had ever seen before, while also bringing representation to women. While in the interview with W Magazine, she said she did not intend for the piece to open up conversations about race. However, she mentioned how it could potentially spark dialogue about the subject. The atmosphere surrounding race, and black women in particular, has been skewed to depict them in a vulgar, rude light. Black women have been villainized and slandered in the media for all of history due to the dark roots of racism. They have been portrayed and stereotyped as angry and ill-mannered when they are not. Weems is an artist that paved the way for them to be represented in a fair and honest light. Her photos showed that black women are not what society has made them out to be. They are nurturing, caring, and as essential to society as any other individual for that matter. The lighting in the work emphasizes this by being bright and captivating rather than dark and unwelcoming. Weems is illuminated rather than shadowed, painting her in a positive light. For so long, black women have been pushed to the side, but The Kitchen Table Series opened a conversation to discuss the importance of black women in a community. Weems herself added the representation that was lacking in the world by making herself, a black woman, the main character of the piece. Weems may not have intended to open up this conversation, but her piece served as a spectacle to help deconstruct stereotypes. Weems’ use of light in the piece is extremely simple. The only source of light is the fixture hanging directly above the kitchen table. The light that comes from this causes shadows to illuminate the facial expressions of the subjects with more intensity than natural lighting would. The meaningfulness is in the subtlety. The exposure of the lighting on the subjects suggests that there is something deeper going on, a greater message to be conveyed, than just looking at a woman and her family at their kitchen table. Carrie Mae Weems uses light as a tool to convey her multifaceted intentions. I think we could all learn something from her process and deliberation when seeking to break tradition through artistic expression.

Photos by Lee Webb

SAVAGE X FENTY This concept is inspired by the Savage x Fenty Show Vol.1 performance (2019)

LOOKING THROUGH THE FENTY L E N S by Heaven Lanagan

Rihanna built an empire of body acceptance and lingerie that explores the ranges of sexuality by being the face of Savage Fenty. Fashion critics were turning their heads to see Rihanna’s brand soar, and rightfully so, with the amount of effort put into sensuality. Her latest comeback of Volume 3 embraces erotic aspects of diversity and plays into cinematic performances that deliver a bigger sense of community. In fact, the project is cutting through the red tape and breathing life into every sexual fantasy. The show consists of 4 acts that made way for these breathtaking sets of lingerie.

The opening act set a tone for the inclusivity of the show with daring cat eyes and diffusing contrasts that cast light upon the euphoric aesthetic of comfort in your own skin. The heightened ambiguous fun in the second act painted a picture of righteous femininity with flashing pink lights and pastel lips. Soon after, gentle iridescence was charmed by snake skin glam and latex during the third act, followed by Rihanna’s debut moment. A choreographed dance illuminated the cherry luminosity of “hold me because I wanna be held.” Later on, the fourth act built upon the performance with exhilarating metallic fabrics and visions of surrealism. Finally, the audience got an exclusive ride to the top where Rihanna met her team in the crisp daylight showcasing an age of new fluorescence and ecstasy.

The show included many well-known faces (such as: Gigi Hadid, Cindy Crawford, Jeremy Pope, and Vanessa Hudgens) who captivated the audience with 70s glitz. Upcoming artists like Normani and Jasmine Sullivan took the stage by storm representing a theme of “strong lines that trace contours of the body.” With such a definite message, the Fenty show represented a variety of different ethnic groups and attitudes. That being said, the models were encouraged to feel authenticity on the runway as well. It wasn’t only about the way the brand looked on the outside; it was about the feeling of recognition radiating from every member of the show. Rihanna breaks through “Barbie girl” ideologies around size by presenting men and women with various silhouettes. In Savage Fenty’s ambitious lingerie, all body types are celebrated and exude sexual liberation. Although this wasn’t an album for Rihanna, the accumulation of new fashion normalities around cultural lifestyle and body acceptance rocked the industry to its core. In closing, this enthralling event is the catalyst for Rhianna’s brand, welcoming passion and lingerie originality. Rihanna’s endeavors shatter the power hungry vogue systems for anyone who feels conditionally excluded. She is an inspiration for change in the political undercurrents of the fashion industry and executes a flawless embrace of seduction.

The

Essence

There is something about the incandescent, warm glow of light that enters the opening scene of the Savage X Fenty show that brings me to a place of reflection and reminiscence. It’s as though I am increasingly flooded with inspiration that begins as soon as the light beams onto the women’s silhouettes, all of which are preparing to move fluidly with the music, waiting for their cue. Lights, camera, action. The feeling that rushes through me as I watch the performance can be explained through Rihanna’s artistic vision. Every detail adds to the value of the performance, whether it is the individuals’ diverse background, or the items in which they wear, making it utterly beautiful. I’ve come to the realization that the power of collaboration and the influence of light ultimately highlights the importance of inclusivity, art, and production. It’s as though each element is intentionally placed to enhance the viewer’s experience, inviting the question of: what is art?

Expression by Sophie Hamblen

The question of art in its entirety has nagged at my mind ever since I was a teenager, which was the first sign I knew I wanted to be a creator. Something about the initial spark of inspiration I attained from the media at a young age collects in my mind like an overflowing capsule, waiting to be unleashed into the world. The influence of media such as movies, works of literature, music, and productions overwhelmed me in the best ways possible, and continues to be my muse. Those feelings in particular followed me into my own creative journey as I began to mature, discovering an appreciation for artists like Rihanna, who breaks the boundaries and expectations of art through productions like the Savage X Fenty show. It is as though this fashion production reminded me of everything it means to be a creator in this complex world, as Rihanna hones in on the true definition of art, which is: it can be whatever you want it to be.

The inclusivity of artists, the influence of light, and the overall creation of this masterpiece is so meticulously performed onto the minimalist yet intricate set where the magic happens. As soon as the warm glow of light shifts from illuminating the silhouettes to highlighting every part of their bodies, there is a change in tempo of the music, movement of the dancers, and intensity of the light that draws you in more and more. Then, as the production continues, the light transforms from a staccato pulse to a rampant fluctuation of fluorescent colorful lights. The only difference between this production and other media that has influenced me as a creative individual, is that the implementation of light is a physical representation of the feelings that surge my body due to the inspiration of the Savage X Fenty production.

Photos by Lee Webb

THE LOVE SONG This concept is inspired by T.S. Eliot’s Poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” (1915)

by AK Anderson

Every day is a hump, a swell, and then the next. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot examines the inner turmoil that Alfred Prufrock faces every day. Measuring days by coffee spoons rather than by human interaction is how Mr. Prufrock exists. He is painfully conscious of his inhabilities and at the same time unable to change the very root of his issues due to his consciousness. Yet, this sentiment is not singular to Mr. Prufrock. It is a burden that many modern men carry. Existentialism is a topic that was pronounced during the early 20th century. Inherent to existentialism is understanding the complete power of your life, and in that, feeling helpless due to the responsibility of creating your own reality. Prufrock’s life is wasting away before his eyes. As he faces his own life, he is both the observer and the person experiencing his life. In a state of consciousness, there are two “people”. There is a voice in his head that dictates and there is also the listener. In Mr. Prufrock’s case, he is the listener. He follows onlu waht the voice tells of him and does not allow himself to explore his desires.

As the poem progresses, the reader can see a change in Prufrock’s mental state. As he is more in a place of emotional paralysis, he becomes more agitated, self-deprecating, and anxious. Alfred Prufrock feels alone, like he is unable to share parts of his consciousness. He is detached from himself, and his ability to view from an outside perspective allows him to feel the sadness of what happens to him thorugh dissociation. Alfred resides in the subliminal space between who he is and who he wants to be. He can see the light surrounding him, yet shadows lap around his ankles and throughout his mind. T.S. Eliot first begins the Love Song at the end of the day. The last of light has been shed and now night has begun. With the beginning of night, so too comes Mr. Prufrock. The reader is introduced to the intricacies of his mind and his inhability to choose the life he wants. Though days may pass throughout the poem, the mentla turmoil resides within Mr. Prufrock’s mind. The audience observes the breakdown of Mr. Prufrock until the last line which says, “Till human voices wake us, and we drown.” This death proves the dissonance between life wanted and life lived.

Essential to understanding the poem is the mysterious yellow fog that torments Mr. Prufrock. Eliot writes, “The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes”. He goes on to discuss how it resides just out of reach of Mr. Prufrock. The fog represents the love that Prufrock could never attain. It seeps to the corners of the room he cannot reach. To him, love often feels like looking from the outside. He can see how easily others make conversation, yet his anxiety is too overwhelming for him to partake. What makes love so difficult is the enormity of the role that you play in it. You are only capable of receiving the love that you find yourself able to take on. Prufrock does not believe himself to be capable of love. He is self-sabotaging and anxiety ridden. He is paralyzed by his self judgment. He says, “Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair — (They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”)’. Prufrock does not believe himself to have the capacity of being loved despite holding his empty cup forward for others. Day after day, he yearns for what feels like dust in the wind, but he only needs to close his fist to gain what he wants. Knowing this poem is a love song, the reader can ask: who is the love song written to? Is it a lover? Is it the past version of Prufrock that he had chosen against? Is it the versions of himself that he could never attain to be? With consciousness comes the confrontation of reality. You are forced to wake up every day and face every single decision you had made in the previous day. No matter what, it is only you who is in control of what happens to you and your outlook. Aged one hundred years, Alfred Prufrock is still relevant to how the modern man feels. Encapsulated within consciousness, many see themselves within Mr. Prufrock and his inability to choose the life he desires. Yet as you have seen with Mr. Prufrock, love was within his reach the whole time. The love you desire and deserve resides in the corners of the room you had never carried yourself to. Open the window and allow the yellow fog to spill onto you.

The

Light I So Desire by Aubrey-Anne Ross

A social gathering of insidious intent. I am standing outside of the old house, consumed with dread. Time to turn back and descend the stairs! Alas, let us go and make our visit. I am writing my name on the guest list, and I can’t remember how to spell it. They must be all looking at me. I remember now. A-L-F-R-E-D P-R-UF-R-O-C-K. I can feel the heat rise in my face as I turn towards the crowd. Polite society has absolutely and thoroughly wrecked me.

It is a soft October night. The yellow fog licks at the window panes and it is threatening to come in and steal me away into the deep dark. This is all I can focus on amidst the goings of the party. Through the glass, I see fear and freedom. Part of me wouldn’t mind leaving this place. This high societal gathering where try as I must, I cannot get her to look at me. The fog curls its threatening tendrils towards me. Reaching. I walk away from the window.

Longingly I gaze around the room and listen to the eloquent speech of the men and women. I am filled with a sort of jealousy. My words are messed up and jumbled before they even leave my mouth, and I can never say what I mean. I fear I will never find the right words to say, and peace will forever evade me. This realization has made me never satisfied with myself. I am to sit here, in this corner, a forever wallflower. Always watching, never properly engaged. The women mill around the room talking of art and artists and novels and tea. I opened my mouth to speak to one woman in particular, and what I wanted to say was, “Hello, how are you?”. Instead, came overflowing the inside of my mind. “I am growing old. We are all growing so old! Can’t you see!” The woman walked away. She walked away very quickly.

Love in my hands is a frail thing. It is slipping through my fingers as I try to give it away. There is not enough left for me once I’m done. Love is a siren’s song. Alluring and unattainable and deathly if touched. Can you put yourself in my position? Can you feel the restraints of love pressing down as I do? When you are a little different, there is no escape. It is a red string around my wrist that I can never cut off. A constant reminder. I see other people around me, but I am not one of them.

Beneath the music from a farther room, I can hear, once more, the talk of Michelangelo. From the corner of my eye, I see her. She is coming towards me, and I recognize this as my only chance. How’s my hair? My coat? I fear I am falling apart. How do I begin? I play the part not of the Prince, but of the Fool. Do I dare? Do I dare? The woman walks on. Not an ounce of anything for me. I am fumbling towards her with my slippery love spilling over the palms of my hands. “Here! This is all for you!” Silence. No applause for the Jester’s performance. They are all staring at me, and I am spinning into oblivion. The sirens are screaming, but time continues. I feel I should have been born with ragged claws. Something I could use to cling to the present and to myself with. I am slowly losing who I am to the cacophony of the mundane. Measuring out my life by coffee spoons, soon I will be lost forever. Forgive me for I have lived in sorrow. Now, I am glazed over and shaking. Listening to a voice speak from my mouth, but it isn’t mine. I see hands in front of me, but I do not recognize them. I am cursed to occupy this body whose mind isn’t tethered to anything real. My untapped potential weighs heavy on my soul, and I am drowning in myself. The light inside me dwindles in the face of the outward darkness. I am at odds with myself and who I want to become. How is it there seems to be such separation from the attainable and the unreachable? There is time yet for a hundred indecisions and a hundred visions and revisions. The golden thread of hope itself shines on the path before me. I am trying to rewrite my story and reframe my sense of self. Perhaps, with time, the light I so desire can be mine.

Photos by Carter Brownfield

BLACK SWAN This concept is inspired by the 2010 film, directed by Darren Aronofsky

Becoming the

The film, The Black Swan, is a hypnotizing and gut-wrenching piece of art that dives into the duality of femininity. It is exhausting to keep up with modern day standards of being a woman. Nina, the Swan Queen, struggles with finding her voice and is pushed to explore her sexuality, something that girls struggle with throughout their adolescence and well into adulthood. When I see white, I think of purity, angels and elegance. I think of innocence, but also ignorance. I picture a deer in the headlights right before it is crushed. I think of how easy it is to stain a beautiful white dress with just one drop of wine. The color white is the perfect balance of all colors, but there is no emotion there. Innocence is fragile and in order to mature, it is necessary to let go of what you perceived the world to be when you were a child. Nina is the embodiment of the White Swan. She is shy, virginal, and naive. Nina was sheltered and locked in a cage by her overprotective mother at an age where she should have been exploring and experiencing the world around her. Her innocence is why she was chosen to be the Swan Queen, but in order to transform into the black swan, she was quickly pushed into an overtly sexualized and drug infused lifestyle.

Black Swan by Zay Naeem

The Black Swan is seductive, powerful, and passionate. She is able to lose herself in the dance and throw her soul out on the stage for everyone to see. Black is commonly associated with evil, darkness and night, but I view the color as mysterious, dominant and strong. I believe it is crucial to look within yourself and explore the darkest parts. Nina’s journey of becoming the Black Swan was painful and chaotic, but her metamorphosis allowed her to finally lose herself. The White Swan is what many perceive to be perfect, but in reality, the White Swan is harming herself by trying to maintain that image. If you suppress all of the chaos within, it will eat you alive. Ignorance is bliss until you’re faced with everything you’ve neglected. It will come out one way or another. Nina had suppressed the adult woman inside of her for so long, she had to murder the White Swan to truly let go of her youth. I have seen women who present themselves as angels become monsters. I myself have suppressed and ignored dark parts of myself and it manifested into a downward spiral. The pressure of being desirable to others is exhausting and we are taught that it is only achieved through perfection. Finding your inner Black Swan does not mean sexualizing yourself, talking louder than others, or manipulating people around you to achieve your goals. The Black Swan represents becoming a woman and letting go of how you were taught to act as a child. A woman’s worth is not dependent on how she looks or her sexual experiences. You control how worthy you believe yourself to be. The Black Swan symbolizes wisdom from experiences. The Black Swan is fearless and unapologetic. The most beautiful nights are the ones lit by the full moon and hundreds of stars. Light was made to coexist with darkness. The balance between the Black Swan and the White Swan was something Nina was unable to accomplish. Her inability to let the light and dark parts of her work together ultimately led to her self-inflicted demise. The White Swan is just as important as the Black, because they serve different purposes. Becoming the Black Swan is accepting the duality every woman has inside of her. Becoming the Black Swan is choosing to be the woman you want to be, not the woman you were taught to be.

directed by Darren Aronofsky screenplay by Mark Heyman, John McLaughlin, and Andres Heinz 61

I cannot remember the last time I felt clean. I am surrounded by beautiful women who seemingly appeared in front of me one day– here to take my spot. Manufactured in the basement of some dark and decrepit theatre to make me work harder, to be better. I can outperform any of the other dancers, but one thing I can never be is cleaner than they are. I can scrub and pick and poke and prod. But I can never be fully clean. Mother calls my cuticles mutilated. I think it can only go further. I desire to always reveal more. Peeling up my outer grime to discover the pure and raw state of my being. The original sin. I can never let anyone know how filthy I am– I find safety in my mother’s arms. To her– I am a sweet girl. Though I am sweet, I am unclean. My nails are always too rugged, my shoulders are always too scratched. But my form is always good enough. It was never my form that was the problem: “Beautiful as always, Nina.” I never seem to attain the role I should have. I am virginal. I am shackled. Who would ever want me? Visceral and Real. I seek solace in a room untouched. Pink, frills, teddies, stuffies, lovies. I am safe here, enveloped in the softness of purity. To answer only to the scrutiny of my childhood, it is easy to maintain my illusion of innocence here.

My head rested smoothly on a pillow fashioned of pink silk with black swirls uncurling from behind my head. I have outgrown this bed.

by Jane Dodge

A dinner of half a pretty pink grapefruit. So pretty. So pink. Red lipstick to help me secure the part (what’s mine). Bright crimson blood twinges on the lip of the director. The new shiny dancer. Little princess. The replacement. Ecstasy slipped into drinks my mother would never let me have. Feeling light and airy, my limbs removed from my control. Returning to the apartment, to my mother. Tearing down her artwork. Teddy Bears stuffed down our New York garbage disposal. Scratches on my back, visible to me only through the mirror. I am always at the mercy of my reflection. Infinity mirrors amplify a studio of black paint and black curtains, Tchaikovsky’s piano keys reverberating off the synchronous bodies of my fellow dancers–my fellow competitors.

She is a whore. The bright red lipstick letters on the mirror of the bathroom made that perfectly clear. But she got what she wanted. I felt her lightness, purity, and goodness leave her as her director’s body pressed against her. She enjoyed his masculine form against her underdeveloped and undernourished form. The goodness sucked from her through his lips. Her fall from light traced to one minute. Only again on stage can I feel that light again. She is gone in the mirror. I look to see darkness shrouded in darkness. She comes back to me only through pounding stark white stage makeup onto my face. Beating into my pores. Blending into my own form. In my reflection, I see the White Swan. The good swan. She and I can be one again. If only on the stage, with a crisp snowy tutu enveloping my waist and hips. My tempting form. My feminine form. I take on her form to reclaim her form. I can finally be clean.

Assistant EIC & Assistant Creative Director

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CREDITS The Swing

The Kitchen Table Series

Concept: Ragan Baker, Maggie Schut, Carianna Hunter, Maddi Thompson, Emma Soefker, Sophie Hamblen Styling: Joshua Cleveland, Irene Park Layout: CJ Barney Production: Matt Crowe Makeup and Hair: Irene Park, Carianna Hunter

Concept: Maggie Schut Styling: Rian Blackman, Erica Benton Layout: Emma Soefker Production: DD Hailey, Mila Bales Makeup and Hair: Carianna Hunter

Savage X Fenty Concept: Maggie Schut, Marli Giedt Styling: Ragan Baker, Grant McGuire Layout: Stu McGuire, Marley Hillman Production: Maddi Thompson, Madi Ammons Makeup and Hair: KateLynn Fronabarger, Carianna Hunter, Maddi Thompson

Black Swan Concept: Maggie Schut, Carianna Hunter Styling: William Chen, Caroline Bowden Layout: Maddie Nunnery Production: Kyla Marcum, Sydney Gibson Makeup and Hair: Carianna Hunter

The Love Song Concept: Edmund Phillips, Sophie Hamblen Styling: Edmund Phillips Layout: KateLynn Fronabarger Production: Anna Jones, Alex Akin

SPECIAL THANKS TO LIFESTYLE HOTEL DOWNTOWN CHATTANOOGA 1220 King Street 423-664-1180

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