Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016

Questioning Societal Taboos w. Cristin Millet

“My intention as an artist is to evoke contemplation on how we perceive, stereotype, and stigmatize the female body and to question societal taboos surrounding sexuality and reproduction.”

Cristin Millett is an artist whose research focuses on medical history, specifically the human reproductive system. In response to her research, she creates objects and installations that give insight into societal attitudes about the female body.

Millet approaches her work using a very logical and systematic method, first grounding herself in research on the history of medicine. An extension of her research includes the context where anatomy is studied – historical anatomical and surgical theaters. Millet’s architectural environments metaphorically reference the interior and exterior of the body. When entering one of her rooms, the viewer enters the body and their role as spectator shifts to that of the spectacle.

Cristin Millet’s installations represent an intersection of scientific ideas and contemporary aesthetic observations, providing insight into prevalent societal attitudes surrounding the female form. Millett exhibits her work in national and international solo and group exhibitions. Her work has been positively reviewed by Lenny Campello and she has been published in journals such as Sculpture, Art Papers, and Chicago Tribune.

See her full spread in E-Squared here.

Saturday, November 12th, 2016

On Future Jazz

Photo Credits: http://www.djsets.co.uk/ & E. Dustman

This evening I went to see electronic composer Nicolas Jaar at the Columbus Theater. Jaar isn’t just a sound artist though, he is a visual artist, coupling his performances with a synchronized light show. Utilizing the theater as his canvas, lights flashed and moved in correlation with musical transitions.

As for Jaar’s sound, I like to refer to it as future jazz. His compositions are multi-layered and hypnotic…altogether, extra-dimensional. Tonight, the historical Columbus theater only further amplified his sound, and I believe Jaar took full advantage of this. His distorted, looping rifts and rhythms played well into creating a very unique architecture of sound.

For the majority of the time, Jaar was enveloped by darkness. It seemed as though the show wasn’t really about watching someone on stage, rather, it was about having a sensory experience. To my surprise, about half-way through, he pulled out a saxophone and played it. Interestingly enough, he amplified the saxophone through an effects processor, which generated quite a unique sound. In comparing his studio albums to his live shows, you will soon realize that just like jazz, Jaar relies heavily on experimentation + improv. As a result of this, each concert becomes an exclusive experience of its own.

Thursday, October 20th, 2016

Issue #1

PURCHASE ISSUE #1 — $35.00 USD SOLD OUT!

Issue #1: Letter from the Founder

Looking through pink rimmed glasses of an eleven-year old girl one would see shelves overflowing with slides, beakers, field guides, creatures in aquaria, clay, brushes, paint, and sketchbooks of the observed and imagined. You would see art and science, a laboratory and an art studio. What you would not see are the countless hours I spent there by myself getting lost in bewilderment, experiments, and new discoveries.

From a very young age, I have been consumed by the micro and macro-world that very obviously surrounded me. I spent sunrise to sunset exploring creeks, collecting critters, and experimenting. I had collections of insects, bones, rocks, and plants; illustrations of flora, fauna, and paintings of turtle plastron patterns for identification purposes; I had written various nature-based fictional stories like that of the colony of flower people residing in Jack-in-the-pulpits; the list is pretty ongoing.

If I was not outside, I was indoors in my laboratory. I vividly recall the day that I decided to look at pond water under my microscope. With transfer pipette in hand, I drew water up from the bottom of the aquarium and deposited the unknowingly microorganism filled drops into the depression on the glass slide. Peering into the objective of my microscope, I observed my very first cladocerans, the first being Daphnia pulex followed by hundreds of tiny other microorganisms to be identified and drawn. To my eyes, they were all dancing. That moment was magical – I was absolutely astounded by this world I did not even know existed.

This is just a small glimpse into my childhood and life trajectory, but I will tell you that I have not stopped and for as long as I am walking this pale blue dot while we are all slowly being consumed by the sun, I will continue on this adventure. No matter my age or life experiences, I still carry with me an innate ability to see beauty in the natural world and I constantly have a never-ending sense of wonderment with it all.

As a scientist, an artist, and a continual dreamer, E-Squared Magazine was born in the Spring of 2016 but as one can see, it was truly conceived decades prior, undergoing an extensive metamorphosis through stages of juvenility to finely groomed maturity. From my very own life experiences, I can state with confidence that the arts and sciences do go hand in hand – they are integral to one another, and give power and richness to each other. It is my belief that the future will be reliant on this fusion of art + science.

Although the path has been arduous at times, I am ever-so-pleased to present to you E-Squared Magazine fresh from the chrysalis. E-Squared is a modern & conceptual magazine that fuses art + science with the hopes of sparking real social and cultural change. My partner and I are filled with gratitude for the individuals in this magazine, their work, and also for the support that we have received in this endeavor. We hope that you enjoy Issue #1 and subsequent issues in the future.

“When you’re not looking, cladocerans are dancing.”

Emily A. Dustman

Tuesday, October 18th, 2016

Proof’s on the Table

Today’s a big day. Today marks the arrival of our first palette of Issue #1. We are so over the moon elated and it is still very surreal for us. It was just a month ago on September 26th. that we unwrapped our proof copy of Issue #1 and now the finely groomed version is here. If you haven’t heard yet and are curious, Issue #1 features Greg A. Dunn and has cover art by Julia deVille (front c.) and Brigitte Amarger (back c.). So far, it is making quite a presence, taking up our entire E-Squared Studio!

A lot of hard work went into making Issue #1 what it is from simply writing artist bio’s to the uphill battle in finding a printer. We understand so much more now than we ever did about all that goes into publishing! Regardless of the back story to get us to this point, we hope you enjoy Issue #1 upon its arrival at your doorstep. A big, big thanks to everyone who believed in and supported us. We’re in physical print, guys!

Tuesday, October 4th, 2016

Awareness Through Art

This summer my friend approached me about taking a trip to Zion National Park. How could I resist? Sometimes, you just need a little escape. I have been so busy with the magazine that September crept up on me pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I was boarding a jet plane and my friend and I were in a rental car together headed to Springdale, Utah. I had no idea what I was really in for either…

Once we arrived in Zion, we took some time to settle in and explored the area for the day. Our first hike in light rain was quite magical as we observed the small waterfalls of Emerald Pools. The next day we hiked Angels Landing where we momentarily fretted for our lives with hands death gripped to chains as we walked on what seemed to be no greater in width than that of a razor’s edge. And, the next day? The Narrows, where 2 miles in, it poured down rain and everyone started a mass exodus. Our adrenaline surely broke some records at Zion National Park.

Overall, my experience at Zion was absolutely breathtaking with majestic sandstone cliffs extending upwards through the endless atmosphere. I would definitely rank it as one of my top trips in my history of trips and a must see for anyone that has not yet been.

Outside of a visual aesthetic, Zion made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me reflect, but most importantly, Zion made me think. Despite being on a “break,” I can’t help but listen, learn, and apply. While riding the shuttle, I listened to the looping recording that was playing at blare volume (that everyone else was somehow tuning out). I learned about the artist + scientist Howard Russell Butler. Butler obtained a degree in Science in 1876 and nearly a decade later devoted himself entirely to painting. He painted numerous wonders, including many of those at Zion. His work was a historic documentation as well as visual depiction, exposing a great majority of people to places they were unaware even existed and unable to travel to at the time. Just as it very much was then, his works are a symbol of preservation for these natural wonders.

Art is important to us. Art has always been important to me. So has nature. And, so it can be through art that we harness awareness for preservation of our natural world. A greater understanding of what it means to us and our undeniable connection to it. As the two of us hiked and canyoneered, we shared our stories. We clung to each other when we were frightened. We further strengthened our bond as humans beings existing in an ever increasingly complicated world. It is at this critical time that art becomes even more necessary. So does science. And, the collaboration between the two is of utmost importance…for humans…for our future existence as a species. Over the past year, I have changed a lot and, with it, my idea of the purpose of art has also changed. So I will ask you a question…what purpose does art serve to you? Is your art progressive?

Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

Strandbeest

Photo Credit: E. Dustman

A road trip turned camping trip turned day trip to Crane Beach to see Dutch artist + physicist Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest (Dutch: strand=beach; beest=beast).

Well.
Worth.
It.

Magnificent they are with an early invented appearance and articulated dream-like movements. But, what are they? Jansen’s Strandbeests are sculptures but they aren’t just any sculptures…they are kinetic sculptures that move, appearing as creatures that possess a life of their own.

With these “beach animals,” Jansen sets out to create life forms – “I want to put new forms of life on the beaches and they should survive on their own in the future. Learning to live on their own.” His skeletal-like sculptures do not require food or any sort of power to be harvested by man, but are instead, powered by the wind. It is through carefully calculated articulations and captured wind in wing-like sails, that the beasts move. Now, that’s innovative.

I feel very fortunate to live in New England and to have present for their first debut in the U.S.. It was truly a magical sight to see along the edges of Crane Beach of Ipswich, Massachusetts that will forever be engrained in my memory.

Friday, July 10th, 2015

Bunnies @ the Lawn on D

Photo Credit: E. Dustman

You must go see the pop-up display on Boston’s Lawn on D. Cleverly titled Intrude, the installation evokes a sense of wonderment, play, and disruption of space. Designed by Australian artist Amanda Parer and at two-stories high, it is undeniably unavoidable, but only in the best kind of way.

Did I mention that the bunnies are also inflatable and light up? Yeah. Just go see it.

“I like people have a sense of awe and wonder when they first approach the work” – Amanda Parer

The sculptures are taken down each night, but you can see Intrude for free from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 9; from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11; and, from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 12.

Thursday, April 9th, 2015

Bridging the Art + Science Gap

Photo Credit: E. Dustman

Today, I took the train all the way up to Cambridge, Massachusetts to study taxidermy turtles. You probably don’t hear that everyday since you’re not running around in herpetology circles, but I have been working on creating The Turtles of Rhode Island, an educational poster for the Roger Williams Park Zoo. My project isn’t necessarily innovative to the scientific world, but it is intended to be beautiful – to catch one’s eye – and to then to be informative after visually ensnaring said person. My mission is similar to that of what Audubon set out to do. Put simply, it is a classic fusion of science + art with conservation at heart. Everyone should start with the basics, right?

After months of rendering Rhode Island’s seven turtle species in graphite, I was left largely unsatisfied with my results. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with my drawings except for me. But why? Besides being a perfectionist, I am also a turtle biologist – I have spent 10+ years working with most of Rhode Island’s species firsthand, so I know most of the species very intimately. To me, my drawings were inaccurate, in fact, they weren’t even close to being representative of the turtles. I mean, I have looked deeply into the eyes of these turtles. I know all about their skin patterns. Their scutes. Their tiny toes. Barbels. Movements. Even, species specific behaviors which ultimately translates to turtle personalities (yes, I said it!).

At the core of it all, it’s about vision versus final product. I had a glorious vision of my turtles that I was not fulfilling. So, in my struggle, I reached out to 50+ scientists and finally settled on the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ). There, they granted me special permissions to visit and study the taxidermy turtles of the herpetology lab. So, here I am at Harvard’s MCZ. While I am not legally allowed to share the photographs of the turtles (I had to sign legal waivers for each turtle), I will tell you that they are the most stunning taxidermy turtles I have ever seen. To top it off, they were created by a resident scientist, George Nelson, in the early 1900’s. Amazingly, at over 100 years of age, they remain most beautifully intact.

Although now long past, I am deeming George Nelson a scientist and an artist, specifically, a taxidermy artist. I mean, who knows what else George did in his creative life. What I do know is that he was certainly skilled at preparing and preserving turtles in life-like form for myself and others to learn from over a century later. And, that in itself, this educational preservation, is an incredibly valuable part of the process, if you ask me.

Monday, June 2nd, 2014

From Roadkill to Rebirth: Teaching Youth to Protect Our Wildlife

In an effort to bring hope from tragic circumstances, each year I collect eggs from a roadkill turtles and hatch them. It is always an emotional journey, one that transforms loss into new beginnings.

What’s even better? Involving youth in this experience. Teaching our youth about hatching, conservation, and our natural environments is crucial for shaping a future where empathy and stewardship lead the way. Through this experience, young minds learn about the delicate balance of ecosystems and the impact we have on species that share our world.

By empowering future generations with this hands-on knowledge, we’re fostering a deep appreciation for the natural world—one hatchling at a time. Together, may acts like this inspire curiosity, respect, and love for our environment so that future leaders grow up knowing they have the power to make a difference. 🌿💚

What stories from nature have shaped your passion for the environment?

[📸 from release day]

Sunday, March 9th, 2014

From Hear to Ear

Photo Credits: Peabody Essex Museum: pem.org

This Saturday, I invited my friends to join me at the Peabody Essex Museum to experience an installation by modern French artist Céleste Boursier-Mougenot. The exhibit, From Hear to Ear, fuses two spheres – both the auditory + visual by producing sound created by a flock of live birds that are introduced into an acoustic environment. That is, an acoustic environment that you get to walk around in as 70+ zebra finches fly around, perching onto amplified instruments. The result? A visual and sound experience.

Here’s a little more information in case you’re wondering just how exactly this works. As you enter an entirely white room, the door is closed and your experience begins. As you walk around the room, the finches explore the environment, landing on various string instruments, ultimately sculpting the space into an ambient and melodic soundscape. The space is constantly changing too as the birds move in relation to people’s movements, creating a truly unique and non-replicable experience with each visit. None to worry either, as the finches are under very good care with a veterinarian on staff observing/checking them daily.

From Hear to Ear is a profoundly impressionable exhibit that colors outside the standard lines of normalcy, challenging us to think about how we perceive, create, and interact with our environments. I highly recommend seeing Boursier-Mougenot’s innovatively designed installation while it’s still on display.

From Hear to Ear is on view at the Peabody Essex Museum from January 18 to April 13, 2014.