Photo by Milan Loiacono I knew it was a problem when the birds started to sing … as I started to get ready for bed. Most everyone in my life has told me I’ll grow out of it; nocturnality is an element of youth that will fade under the strict regularity of a 9-to-5 job. But I’ve done 9-to-5, and it hasn’t gone away; more than that, I don’t want it to. It’s not a question … [Read more...] about Letter From the Editor
Fall 2019: Challenging Perceptions of Light & Dark
Creatures of the Night: California Rallies for Wildlife Restoration
Art by Milan Loiacono and Savannah Welch. While the Malibu community falls into a deep sleep, a frog calls for his lover; a mountain lion hunts for her cubs; an owl sings for all of the Santa Monica Mountains to hear. The night is alive. Although unseen to many, nocturnal animals continue to play a vital role in the Santa Monica Mountains — keeping ecosystems balanced … [Read more...] about Creatures of the Night: California Rallies for Wildlife Restoration
Seeing the Value in Dark
Cemetery flowers in "Dark Spring" | Photo courtesy of Katherine Parsons Out of the darkness, bright tulips bloom. Others wilt and whither. In "Dark Spring," Digital Art Professor Katherine Parsons' art project, she explores how cemetery flowers reflect both life and death. This VR experience for Coaxial Arts in downtown Los Angeles focuses on the relationship between … [Read more...] about Seeing the Value in Dark
Astrophotography
At night, a camera is blind. It faces the inky darkness of a pitch-black sky or the stark contrast of city lights and struggles to focus, let alone choose an exposure. "Auto" is useless. Night photography is thus a test of a photographer; they must know how to set a shutter speed for several minutes, how to freeze the motion of stars in the sky, how to ‘paint in’ the … [Read more...] about Astrophotography
Shades of Meaning: Color in Other Cultures
Photo by Milan Loiacono The Maasai tribe drinks cow’s blood mixed with milk for strength and stamina. Junior Angel Thairo said her grandfather would slaughter a cow and drain it upside down for the blood to be mixed with milk in traditional Maasai ceremonies. There were times when this mixture was all the Maasai tribe had to drink. “That’s what red represents —that … [Read more...] about Shades of Meaning: Color in Other Cultures
