Everyday Artists at UMich: Summer Nguyen

Olivia Evans Leave a comment

“My major in information science ties to people and how technology affects them, so even though I haven’t made art about tech, there’s definitely a link between how I care about people in my art and in my studies. I really like digital art, so I use a lot of digital software. I think it provides a lot more creative freedom.

One of the pieces I put the most work into was in my senior year of high school. It was a two part series about androgyny. In 2016, there was a lot of news about ‘millennial pink’, which steers away from the idea that only girls should wear pink, and I guess that was really interesting to me since I don’t really subscribe to traditional gender standards. I wanted to make a series that focused on that idea. I used the Pantone colors of the year: Rose Quartz, and [Serenity]. The style is realistic, but [they’re] bust portraits. If you look around the eyes, you can see drips; it’s fluid. It reflects that gender cannot be condensed or tied to one thing. 

Recently, I’ve been very interested in the value of art as a whole, especially expressing yourself through art. In contemporary art, it means a lot to the artist, but to an audience that doesn’t have a background, they maybe don’t resonate. That causes a whole cycle of like, do I understand art? Do I need to have a formal education in art to understand this? It makes me think a lot about artists on Instagram, like artists that mess around and do what they want because they can. I’m always thinking about, does art have to have value beyond aesthetics?” 

 

You can view part of Summer Nguyen’s 2016 series, as well as other designs and illustrations, on her website: https://snguyen.design/work/misc

Antidote to Apathy: As the Leaves Fall

Fareah Fysudeen 4 Comments

There’s this interesting point in autumn where I forget that the earth is temporarily dying because I’m entranced by the bursting, almost blooming colors of the leaves. I’m trying not to deny myself the pleasure of enjoying autumn. I’m trying not to condemn it to my hatred because I know it’ll bring winter. My walk yesterday was uncommonly beautiful, and I want it to move me. This first installment of the podcast “Antidote to Apathy” explores how we can love things, even with the knowledge that they may end, and that they hold the power to hurt us. Though the leaves may die, my love can still last. And there’s something really beautiful about that. I want to hold onto it. It’s a small antidote against apathy.

The Poetry Snapshot: A Rose Filtered Autumn Day

nehaallathur Leave a comment

The stroke of autumn colors swipe across the evening sky.

The Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor, Michigan

An every day miracle;
I catch a glimpse as I walk nearby.
Leaves in every shade of red hit the ground,
and crunch beneath my feet with a familiar sound.
Golden rays ricochet off everything it grazes,
and touches my face with soft embraces.

But what I say may not be all real or true.
It is nothing but a rose-filtered view.
And what a wonderful way to view this world,
through my own poetic hue.
To find beauty in paltry, neglected corners;
it is a royal way of living.

Hidden Gems: There Existed an Addiction to Blood by Clipping

jushutch 1 Comment

There Existed an Addiction to Blood by Clipping

Nothing sounds more contradictory than horror music; horror is usually associated with scary movies while music tends to be uplifting, inspirational, or just a lot of fun. That’s why I was so surprised when I first heard There Existed an Addiction to Blood by the experimental rap group Clipping. It’s a self-proclaimed “horrorcore” album with a modern twist, released on October 18th, 2019, just in time for Halloween. I didn’t know much about the group before I listened to the album, which added a lot to the mystery of the project, but I’ve learned a lot more about the group since then and it’s pretty incredible. The lead vocalist of Clipping is Daveed Diggs, who is best known as Marquis Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the hit musical Hamilton, for which he won a Grammy. I still can’t believe the artistic range and musical talent of Diggs, to win a Grammy for Hamilton and then go on to produce the incredible horror album There Existed an Addiction to Blood. The group also released the album Splendor & Misery, which was actually nominated for a Hugo award as an amazing work of science fiction. If it isn’t clear already, Clipping is an incredible group that produces groundbreaking music albums with thought-provoking and unique narratives. So in honor of the spooky season, I present to you the best horror album I’ve ever listened to and an absolute hidden gem: There Existed an Addiction to Blood.

My favorite track from the album is Nothing Is Safe, which was also the first single I heard from the album, and I can’t overstate the impact it had on me. It was like nothing I had ever heard, and I don’t say that often. The song starts off with a single dissonant piano key, reverberating in dense air, with a steady, hypnotic rhythm. It instantly brings to mind images of being alone in the dark, or walking down the dark hallways of an abandoned castle, with a bone-chilling fear of the unknown. Then this heavy, bouncing synth comes in, perfectly complementing the repetitive piano key and providing the perfect foundation for the rest of the song. Next up is Diggs: he comes in with an understated, menacing, and haunting vocal performance. The story starts with a sense of calm, but it doesn’t take long to realize that something is off: everything is too quiet and the suspense is tangible. Things become more frantic as the story develops, and the instrumental conveys it perfectly. The dynamics of the song are flawlessly executed, reflecting the intensity of the story and culminating in a heart-pounding chorus that is absolutely unforgettable. From start to finish this song is a masterpiece and it completely blew my mind the first time I heard it. I can’t recommend it enough; pay special attention to the lyrics and how cohesive the song is, and appreciate just how unique of an experience it is.

Some of my other favorite tracks from the album are Run For Your Life and The Show, which both read like short horror stories in the style of Edgar Allen Poe. They’re incredibly story driven with terrifying narratives written in the second person, placing the listener in life-threatening and horrifying situations. Run For Your Life is incredibly imaginative, both in the narrative in the instrumental: you’re running for your life from a killer, hiding in an alley, and cars drive by playing the instrumental, which pans from ear to ear. It sounds like a gimmick but it’s incredibly well executed and realistic, making the story immersive and a thousand times more terrifying. The Show is an extremely graphic and well written song about being tortured by a sadistic killer. It sounds awful and it is, which is perfect for the Halloween season. It’s also extremely catchy: the chorus is surprisingly addictive, although I wouldn’t recommend singing it in public. Overall, I mostly appreciate how immersive and convincing the entire album is. Clipping isn’t afraid to commit to intense storytelling, even when it crosses conventional boundaries and is legitimately terrifying. The group is truly groundbreaking in a lot of ways and it’s easy to see why. There Existed an Addiction to Blood is an outstanding example of their talent, and my favorite horror album to date. If you’re interested in Clipping as much as I am, you’ll be happy to hear that they’ll be releasing a sequel to There Existed an Addiction to Blood titled Visions of Bodies Being Burned on October 23rd, just in time for Halloween. I definitely recommend checking out both projects; there is a lot to unpack in Clipping’s albums and I hardly got started in this post. Feel free to start a discussion in the comments as well, I would love to discuss the album more!

Study Hal: Week 22 – Absentee

Leila Mullison 1 Comment

Just about everyone has been talking about the upcoming election, and for good reason! It’s important to make your voice heard, and during a pandemic, voting takes extra planning. Hal has had his absentee ballot for a while now. He decided to take a break from studying to fill it in, but he didn’t realize before opening the ballot that there were so many items to vote for!

Though he was tempted to skip the races he didn’t understand, Hal researched every race using the League of Women Voters nonpartisan voter guide. (They have different chapters all over the country! Hal highly recommends finding your local voting guide.) Hal was able to find candidates he agrees with and figure out what the proposals mean. It took him a while to get it all sorted out, but he did it! Tomorrow morning, he’s going to drop off his signed and sealed ballot in the official drop box in front of the city hall. Have you already voted, or do you have a voting plan? Better yet, do you have any voting uncertainties that Hal or I could help you with? Leave us a comment below!

If you’ve missed it, Hal is a student at U-M who’s staying remote for the semester. He’s around every week with a new video, so check out the Study Hal tag to see more!