MediaScape Musings # 14 : SOULSCAPE – DSU Solo Photography Exhibition

Hey guys, I am thrilled to announce that tomorrow marks the opening of my very first solo photography exhibition, Soulscape! It’s a fleeting moment, lasting just a week, but the memories and impressions will linger far longer. Don’t miss out on this unique journey!

In Soulscape, DSU’s solo photography exhibition, the art of portrait photography is reimagined as a journey into the soul, where each image serves as a window into the intricate landscapes of human essence. This collection emerges from a profound exploration conducted over a year and a half in an unfamiliar land, where encounters with diverse individuals have woven a rich mosaic of perspectives and stories.

Through the lens, DSU captures not merely faces but the myriad souls behind them, crafting a visual landscape that mirrors the complexity and beauty of the human condition. Each photograph in “Soulscape” is an invitation to gaze deeply into the authentic spirit of its subjects, offering a rare glimpse into the unguarded moments that define our shared humanity. In Soulscape, DSU’s solo photography exhibition, the art of portrait photography is reimagined as a journey into the soul, where each image serves as a window into the intricate landscapes of human essence. This collection emerges from a profound exploration conducted over a year and a half in an unfamiliar land, where encounters with diverse individuals have woven a rich mosaic of perspectives and stories. Through the lens, DSU captures not merely faces but the myriad souls behind them, crafting a visual landscape that mirrors the complexity and beauty of the human condition. Each photograph in “Soulscape” is an invitation to gaze deeply into the authentic spirit of its subjects, offering a rare glimpse into the unguarded moments that define our shared humanity.

Follow DSU’s journey on Instagram at @dsu.photoart

Wakesleeping

Awake with dread in a blue room wishing to 

Close my eyes knowing that with every passing 

Moment my mind, quenching tears creates time tombs.

Who knew that sorrow could cure happy living 

Water is healing when thinking how, or who

Gets to be, gets sleep, gets to keep succeeding. 

Loneliness feels best when striving for greatness

I wonder how I’ll sleep when there’s nothing less.

Make my bones like papier-mâché 

So that I may be whole while hollow

Create my mouth like calculator 

So that my speech may be accurate while calm

Humble my ears like honey 

So that I only see what is sweet

Witness the Small Life – Together in Toronto!

“When in Rome!”

This spring break the stars and planets aligned well enough for me and my friends to grace beautiful Toronto with our presence! From Kensington Market to Cabbagetown, we probably supplied the Canadian economy with enough money to last them till next spring break. Although we didn’t get to climb atop the fabled CN tower, we found many things to love about this Great White Northern city.

Because of so many of the amazing sights we got to see, it was a little hard to pick out my absolute favorite small things of this week. Overall, letting the tide of the city sway our adventures most likely encapsulates the most fulfilling parts of this trip. This week reminded me that even 45 minute long train rides squished between groups of commuters and students alike can be made meaningful with the right people beside you. Even if you stayed at home (whether that be Ann Arbor or beyond) or went to even more captivating places around the world, I hope you were able to spend beautiful quality time with those you love.

To take into our next week:

Ins: Taking pictures even if its obvious that you’re a moony-eyed tourist, carrying a water bottle everywhere, taking notes in tiny notebooks, jeans, public transportation!

Outs: Not listening to your body when you need a break, overpacking, sleeping through 5 different alarms every morning, forgetting to put in earrings, not tying your shoelaces.

Good luck to everyone with tests, critiques, midterms, projects, and everything in between! We are almost to the finish line <3

Capturing Campus: March

The Midnight Drive

your favorite is the midnight drive
that’s dark except the headlights and
traffic stops. green, yellow, red
glimmering in a stigmatism
seeking solace in the hug
farther up the road
a warmth atop a chill
that softly breathes
an exhale of relief
you didn’t know you needed
goosebumps on your arms
resting back on the headrest
eyes like swollen stars
you look out the glass
at your reflection in the night
knowing home will come
that you’ll sleep it away
but dream of the midnight drive

Chapter 2

AI in Music

This week, I came across an interesting article, in the latest news, that talks about the ending of popular songs on Tik Tok due to safety issues from AI. As most of us scroll through Tik Tok every day, there are many songs that are produced from AI, mimicking another artist. Many times, I am not aware of this. I simply just scroll through without realizing that a song is not from the actual artist. That is how good but scary AI is. If AI is already this advanced, how further can it be developed? While I see many benefits, it is far more dangerous for the music industry. With AI reproducing replicas of big artists songs/voices, musicians are concerned over the “little protection for their own names, likenesses, and voices being used without their permission.” Yet, others argue that because AI is coming, musicians need to accept it.  Otherwise, it is “just going to kill us all.” In the future, is it possible AI can take over human jobs? I think it is incredibly important to be increasingly aware of the development of technology in the music industry and its effects on artists.  

I have attached the article to this post, as it is very fascinating. See you next week!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-an-ai-feud-is-roiling-the-music-industry-170050349.html

Observer: Calendar imitation storytelling

This piece is a poster design for my original story taken place in ancient Chinese society. I originally thought about doing character illustrations with color, but recently I have been doing a lot of poster design works and just naturally drafted my project in a composition including words and information, which comes more and more like a poster design, in the end I decided to let it flow. I choose to use black and white this time as comparison to the mainstream poster designs. I use the poster to express my characters and the storyline happened in the plot. Some of my ideas come from traditional calendar design and incorporated typography designs to make them more interesting. This poster is about my story that I imagined with swordsmen, representing my love for fantasy and my enthusiasm for storytelling. I included several different art styles in it, including doodles, realistic, and figure sketches to achieve the goal of combining my interest in different art styles.