TN2 Issue 4 17/18

DECEMBER 2017

ART/ FASHION/ FILM/ FOOD/ GAMES/ LITERATURE/ MUSIC/ THEATRE/ TV 1

2

HEAD EDITOR Lee Jones DEPUTY PRINT Sorcha Kelly ASSISTANT EDITOR Alexandra Day ONLINE EDITOR Alden Mathieu DEPUTY ONLINE David Donovan ART Alexandra Day Stacey Wrenn FASHION Caroline O’ Connor Christopher Cash FILM Robyn Mitchell | Alice Whelan Graham Kelly FOOD Holly Moore Enya O’Connell Hussey Mary Hartnett GAMES & TECH Seán Clerkin Sam Cox | Sam Hayes LITERATURE Sarah Upton | Mia Colleran MUSIC Aine Palmer | Cliona Lynskey THEATRE Amyrose Forder Lauren Boland TV Roxane Von Hurter Lily Casson SEX Maia Mathieu Hazel MacMahon Kyle Chambers Copyedited by: Hazel MacMahon Enya O’Connell Hussey Alexandra Day Layout & Design: Lee Jones | Sorcha Kelly Caroline O’ Connor Katy Poole Cover: Kim Sheehan-Thomas Printed by Grehans Printers

CONTENTS 04 Jumble

Features

07 Features 24 Reviews 34 Sex

07 Theatre

08 Art

10 TV

Amyrose Forder looks ahead to Project Pop Up later in the month.

Tn2’s TV Editors pick their choice Lucie Rondeau du Noyer series in 2017 and anticipate examines the role of colour in art. what 2018 will bring.

12 Literature

14 Games

16 Fashion

Sorcha May Judge explores the Sam Hayes & Seán Clerkin tradition of book giving in Iceland attend Ireland’s first Game Expo, during the festive period.

GXI in the RDS.

Caroline O’Connor investigates the rise of millenial pink in the fashion world in 2017.

18 Food

20 Film

22 Music

Aoife Breen writes an account of her experience feeding herself on a poor student budget.

Simon Jewell rates the best films of the past year.

Colm O’Halloran previews music festival Other Voices in Dingle.

| CONTENTS

Tn2 Magazine Team

3

MUSIC

Music For...

After a Long Day in the Library

It should be a well known fact by now that Blue Planet is the perfect show to watch when you’re hungover, sick, or otherwise indisposed. Sadly, if you’ve suddenly realised that we are less than two weeks away from the end of Michaelmas term and deadlines are looming, the thought of spending a guilt free duvet day is a distant memory and you have found yourself taking up a permanent residence on the second floor of the Ussher.

However, I propose a great way to rekindle the forgotten feeling of relaxation; while simultaneously giving your eyes some rest after aggressively staring at your laptop hoping that your assignment will somehow write itself. Listen

J U M B L E

to the new original television soundtrack of Blue Planet II, the dynamic compositions that accompany the infamous nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough. Recorded over a period of four years, I’m sure they have put a lot more work into this series then you are putting into your essay.

Hans Zimmer, along with Jacob Shea and David Fleming, prove themselves to be some of the greatest cinematic composers and arrangers of our time by taking the reigns of the soundtrack.

The simple yet highly effective pieces are filled with climactic, sometimes emotional moments with massive melodic motifs that perfectly complement the underwater theme of the series. Just

Worth the hype?

Coconut Oil

FOOD cated in Ithaca, New York, conducted a study that provided evidence for the positive impact of the oil’s medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) on weight loss in comparison to an unsaturated fat like olive oil, which is generally considered to be one of the healthiest available cooking oils.

However, recent reports from the American Heart Association propose that coconut oil is not at all beneficial, but rather, as a saturated fat, has a similar nutritional profile to beef dripping, with a high lauric acid content, which increases both ‘good’ (HDL) and ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and can lead to heart disease.

While most of these assertions go unsupported by legitimate studies, there is some well-researched support of coconut oil’s status as a ‘good’ fat. The Cornell University Medical School, an Ivy League research university lo-

Given all the conflicting evidence, splurging on a jar may not be worth it. Try it for its unusual flavor, but if you’re on the hunt for the healthiest oil, it’s better to stick with olive or rapeseed.

WORDS BY JULIA MANDEL

Dublin Theatre Companies: Pan Pan Theatre

Who They Are: Pan Pan Theatre was founded by co-artistic directors Aedín Cosgrove and Gavin Quinn in 1993. They have created over thirty performance pieces in the last 24 years, and have toured worldwide to destinations including the USA, China, and Australia. Speaking to TN2 Magazine, Pan Pan describes its aim as “to create original performances that are accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.”

| JUMBLE

WORDS BY CLIONA LYNSKEY

Coconut oil, beloved by health bloggers and professional chefs alike, poses a lot of questions for the average student cook. It’s hard to know what it’s best used for, and whether or not to believe the hype surrounding its supposed health benefits. Made from coconut meat, the saturated fat is solid at room temperature and liquid when heated. It has a distinct, nutty flavor that lends itself to a variety of recipes, from stir fry to banana bread. Having only recently come in to popularity in Ireland, it has quickly achieved ‘superfood’ status, among claims that it cures various ailments and encourages weight loss.

THEATRE

4

like this soundtrack celebrates this planet’s natural oceanic landscape, you will be celebrating the end of your academic woes come end of term time.

Why We <3 Them: The company prioritises collaboration, experimentation, and originality in its creative artists. It strives to “challenge the conventions of theatre”. At the Edinburgh International Festival 2013, Pan Pan were awarded the Herald Angel Award for their production

of Samuel Beckett’s All That Fall. The New York Times described the performance, which used a blend of voices rather than actors on a stage, as a “radical production” which honoured “the spirit of Beckett’s wish, situating the play in the realm of pure imagination.”

What’s Up Next: Pan Pan is just back from bringing their award-winning production of The Rehearsal, Playing the Dane to the Wuzhen Festival in China. Next on the agenda is a tour of Ireland in April 2018 which will revive their 2016 production of The Importance of Nothing.

The Irish Times described the play as “Oscar Wilde absorbed and radically repurposed.”

WORDS BY LAUREN BOLAND

The Power of the Catchphrase: “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”

1955; James Dean playing Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955) screams “You’re tearing me apart!”; cements a cinematic legacy.

2003; Tommy Wiseau playing Johnny in The Room shouts “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”; cements a rather different kind of legacy.

It’s kind of baffling to think how much the reputation of those four words has devolved over the past 15 years. The Room co-star Greg Sestero notes in his book The Disaster Artist how, at the time of writing, YouTube views (that excellent metric) for the former scene from Rebel Without a Cause were close to being leapfrogged by the latter. By now, Wiseau has almost certainly caught up, to the dismay of film historians worldwide.

The now-infamous line resides in the weird netherworld between the second sex scene and the birthday party; where practically nothing plot relevant happens. After finding out that his future-wife Lisa has accused him of physical abuse, Johnny goes to confront her. After a string of unsatisfactory answers from Lisa (whether they were meant to be unsatisfactory is left ambiguous), Johnny fully lets his anguish show, and B-movie history is made.

Is it because it’s a poor facsimile of a classic movie moment that this scene has become the

LIT

signature scene of The Room? If so, it’s becomes rather ironic considering that Wiseau originally wrote it as “You’re taking me apart!” having misremembered Dean’s iconic line. With the impending release of the film adaptation of The Disaster Artist this month, perhaps it can be redeemed. An addendum needs to be added to the above timeline:

When I first encountered Wendy Cope at age thirteen, I was delighted by her absolute irreverence for the ‘poetic greats’. Her parodies lampoon everyone from T.S. Eliot, to Ted Hughes, to Seamus Heaney, and all the way back to Sir Philip Sydney, with a constant reminder that high art is nothing special. Cope’s approach to Christmas is thankfully just as fresh.

At a time of year when everything can become overly sentimental – profound words lost in tossed Hallmark cards – it is a parodist with a keen eye for observational humour that society needs. Cope’s Christmas Poems is a delightfully short collection. Beautifully presented in hardback with flowing illustrations by Michael Kirkham throughout, the collection is my preferred stocking filler for cynics and optimists alike. Through the characteristic turn of her last lines, “The cold winter air makes our hands and

Front Square Fashion: A/W Trends

2017; James Franco playing Tommy Wiseau playing Johnny shouts “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!”; cements an Oscar nod?

The world holds its breath.

WORDS BY WILL ABBOTT

Poetry Corner: Christmas Poems by Wendy Cope

‘Tis the season to quote dreadful verse from carols no one ever wanted to hear, and dodging family members asking how you spent last year failing every single last one of your modules in college.

FASHION

faces tingle / And happy families go to church and cheerily they mingle / And the whole business is unbelievably dreadful, if you’re single”, Christmas Poems diverges from the usual Christian and jolly Santa Claus rhetoric to heart wrenching yet humorous recognition for those who are alone at this time of year.

Published by Faber & Faber, Wendy Cope’s Christmas Poems is available now on Amazon and in all good book stores.

●●●●●

WORDS & PHOTOS BY SORCHA NÍ CHEALLAIGH

What a look, what a woman. Junior Sophister French student Lika Arevadze sure knows how to make a statement. The majestic yet dark bluish green, faux fur coat, beret hat and black pair of Dr. Martens suggest that chic and grunge can create a beautifully harmonious combination. Shrill, vivid fur coats like hers are conquering the runways once again this winter, as seen in the Michael Kors Fall Collection, along with Prada, Miu Miu and Kenzo. Lika gives her outfit a pop of colour while wearing a neutral, black turtleneck and black, striped dress trousers — a clever choice to explore the ways how a coat can make a difference to a simple, yet classy outfit. Her black leather backpack further declares that grunge tones give a conspicuous twist. She completes her look with her brown beret, a clear inspiration from French street style, as she admits that French fashion icon Jeanne Damas — also the founder of Rouje — forms a big inspiration to her personal style. The power that the coat radiates suggests minimal, natural-looking makeup and bold lips, another characteristic designers seem to go for this fall. Looking like she is about to dominate the streets of Paris, Lika’s outfit states that simple accessories can make a huge difference.

WORDS & PHOTO BY MARINA LIVATHINOU

| JUMBLE

FILM

5

GAMES Dublin’s Best Geeky Spots: Forbidden Planet, Crampton Quay

Artists On the Margins: Lee Krasner

ART

With Christmas just around the corner, knowing where to get that perfect Secret Santa gift can be more important than what to get. Whether you’re a loyal games and tech reader, or looking to pick up something up for said fans, Forbidden Planet is a good bet. Primarily focussed on graphic novels, the newly-refurbished shop on the quays provides an array of options for those into everything from superheroes to science fiction and action-figures to full-length novels. Forbidden Planet is also a haven for tabletop gaming, with an extensive section for board games and RPG’s downstairs.

The international chain — named after the 1956 Sci-Fi classic — can’t be praised enough for its range of merchandise. Maybe you prefer your Star Trek to your Star Wars, or Doctor Who is more up your street. Maybe some World of Warcraft merchandise is your poison of choice. No matter how you delight in things of fantasy and fiction, Forbidden Planet will do their best to cater to you. Even if it’s just an excuse to spend an hour oohing and aahing at models far out of your budget, their cheaper products fall into the perfect price range for those simple Kris Krindle gems and may end up tempting you into a few unexpected purchases.

Forbidden Planet Dublin can be found at 5-6 Crampton Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

WORDS BY SAM COX

TV

Relatable Character of the Month: Park and Recreation’s Tom Haverford

Lee Krasner was an uncompromisingly original artist. She was a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism before the movement was even given a name..

Although, in many ways, Krasner’s 1945-1956 marriage to Jackson Pollock overshadowed her career. In fact, you might even be more familiar with Mrs. Pollock, which most reviewers referred to her as. Influential critic, Clement Greenberg, defined Abstract Expressionism as the artistic representation of the male psyche. The critical and institutional landscape of mid-century America offered many barriers to female artists. There were quota systems that only allowed one or two women artists per gallery. In a similar fashion, Krasner’s artistic contributions have been downplayed and the enormous influence she had on Pollock is sometimes completely written out. In early paintings, such as Noon (1947), Krasner further demonstrates her highly developed sense of gestural abstraction. Her extensive formal training and familiarity with contemporary trends in modern art opened Pollock up to new possibilities. Even after his passing in 1956, Krasner continued to innovate, moving on to larger, monochromatic canvases, and a painting style that was even more free and expressive. Despite her contributions, a retrospective was not held until December 1984, six months after her death. She is one of only four female artists to have had a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. Gender inequality is certainly not absent in the art world, and there are a lot more artists who still need to be recognized.

WORDS BY HARRIS WHELESS

JUMBLE | 6

As the Christmas season approaches, essay deadlines and growing stacks of books to be read can have a certain affect on us students. In these desperate times, I look to Tom Haverford’s motto: “Treat yo self ”. Have an essay that really needs doing but also Netflix exists? Treat yo self. Pav or the library?

Treat yo self. College or literally any other responsibility? Treat. Yo. Self.

After all this much-needed time spent treating myself, I realise the truth of another of Tom’s sayings: “Sometimes you gotta work a little, so you can ball a lot.” I hit the library and take every book off that shelf. I struggle against the pit of despair and can’t help but think of the time Tom said, “This is the hardest I’ve worked on anything since...wow. I’ve never worked hard on anything.”

I suppose the essay will be finished sometime, so I take a quick break from the library. If this whole education thing doesn’t work out maybe I’ll take another tip from Tom and become an entrepreneur. The potential is endless, as Tom demonstrated with red carpet insoles, a scented phone and a tuxedo line for babies. Who cares about college when you can be Tom Haverford?

But my plan to become Tom Haverford could take some time, so I should probably pass this year. I begrudgingly return to the essay. A thought then bursts into my mind - maybe ‘Rent-A-Swag’ would work in Trinity?

WORDS BY NIAMH KEATING

project

Tn2’s Theatre Editor, Amyrose Forder, previews an alternative to the Christmas pantomime.

fter the hullabaloo of theatre festival season between August and October, the winter months can often see pantomimes and nineteenth century literary adaptations take refuge in Dublin theatres. This year’s cream of the crop include the Abbey’s Let The Right One In and The Gate’s The Red Shoes. The Irish lads from this year’s X Factor are kickstarting their Simon Cowell-free career with the Olympia’s Polly and the Beanstalk, should that take your fancy. But, if Linda Martin and Dustin the Turkey don’t do it for you, that big blue building in Temple Bar is providing us with a treat for the festive period instead.

Project Pop Up is an initiative run by Project Arts Centre alongside Nyree Yergainharsian and Shaun Dunne.

Comprising of excerpts and mini-plays from an extensive highlight cast of emerging and established artists of the Irish theatre scene, it is being marketed as “a leap of faith into the unknown”, and is running for one-nightonly on Friday 15 December. It is a theatre-restaurant, presenting a tasting menu of entertainment and performance. The art forms will not be limited, scoping across courses of dance, theatre, film work and new writing. The menu will consist of four 20-minute extracts and performances, as well as pop-up conversations and performances across the building.

The project came about through conversation between Nyree Yergainharsian (an alumnus of TCD’S BA in Acting Studies) and Shaun Dunne when discussing ways to build conversation between audiences and artists, and how to create a space for that dialogue. Dunne’s vision of the night was “to programme a night that was a mix of new work, scratch performances and interesting conversation... so Project Pop Up kind of emerged from the combination of those three things”.

To combat this issue, Project Pop Up will host two talk back sessions during the performance, giving the audience and actors a chance for feedback and discussion based on the pieces. Talking about the role of the audience in this production, Dunne said “We like to think of Project Pop Up as a bridge between new audiences and the artists we love. It’s kind of like we’re introducing our friends to people who we think they would get along with!” In the current climate most theatre feedback with actors comes in the form of small Q&A sessions once or twice during the run of the show.

Project Pop Up aims to open this dialogue into something more personal and immediate.

Project Arts Centre, the show’s co-producer and host, has had a particularly busy few years. Last year saw birthday celebrations spawn into its successful Project50 programme, including work by Jean Butler, Pan Pan

and Olwen Fouere, and the Maser ‘Repeal’ mural dawn it’s blue wall as public art. In February 2017 Emmet Kirwan (an alumnus of TCD’s BA in Theatre Studies and Acting) returned to the space to play a sell-out run before hopping across the water to London’s National Theatre. Project is renowned for nurturing and supporting its own artists and enterprises through its Project Artists scheme. Productions and companies such as Junk Ensemble, THEATREclub and Brokentalkers have all benefited and flourished from this scheme. Giving independent artists a home in the two stage venues and gallery, Project has acted as both a co-producer, and a mentor to numerous artists in its 50 year history.

of surprise “ Due thatto theProjectelement Pop Up wants to

excite from its audience by the live performers; the contents and subject of these pieces are set to remain schmuck and a surprise for the night.

Project Pop Up will help showcase the next generation of creatives and artists. Dunne sees the production as a way to give back to the building where he gained his premier experience, and to help sustain its future. In this year’s Budget 2018, the government allocated a less than five per cent increase in its €68m funding to the Arts Council. After the arts and culture sector in Ireland was amongst the worst funds hit by austerity measures throughout the last decade in Ireland, patrons and supporters of initiatives such as Project Pop Up are vital to the upkeep and continued blossoming of Dublin’s theatre scene.

Due to the element of surprise that Project Pop Up wants to excite from its audience by the live performers; the contents and subject of these pieces are set to remain schmuck and a surprise for the night. The ticket price includes a free drink, keeping the festivities of the holiday season rife for the audience. And even if this doesn’t sound like your cup of mulled wine, pop down to Project soon anyways - you never quite know what to expect from it.

Tn2 are hosting a competition to win two tickets to Project Pop Up. To enter, see our Facebook page - TN2 Magazine. The winner will be announced on December 12. ■

WORDS BY AMYROSE FORDER

| FEATURES | FEATURES

A

pop up

7

candal sells, and many key figures in the art world never resent promoting themselves through polemic, especially not Anish Kapoor.

For the British superstar sculptor, not a year goes by without its matching heated controversy. In 2015, Kapoor was highly criticized in France for Dirty Corner, the monumental steel trunk he displayed in the gardens of Versailles Castle. Not only did he dub it the “queen vagina”, much to the displeasure of the posh and easily-shocked French art critics, he also refused to clean up the anti-Semitic graffiti performed on it, explaining that he wished to conserve this testimony to blatant intolerance rather than erase it on the sly. That did not suit the municipal authorities of Versailles, who had him condemned for a so-called lack of cooperation.

Last year, another provocative gesture made him come once again under the scrutiny of media, critics and fellow artists.

In February 2016, Kapoor publicly boasted that he had secured exclusive rights for the use of ‘Vantablack’, widely considered to be the darkest artificial substance ever made — since this alignment of carbon nanotubes is said to absorb more than 99.9% of radiation in the visible spectrum.

The backlash among his fellow painters and sculptors was immediate and harsh. Whereas most of them used the press to deem Kapoor’s monopoly on a material utterly absurd, and kindly reminded him that true artists did not have to deprive their contemporaries to impose their art, British artist Stuart Semple decided to beat the sculptor at his own game. He created a pigment entitled “the world’s pinkest pink”, available for everyone “except Anish Kapoor”, which was legally forbidden to purchase it on Semple’s website. Unfortunately for Semple, some of his powder made its way to Kapoor’s hand. The sculptor did not resist the temptation to post on Instagram a picture of his middle finger dipped in the pink pigment that he wittily entitled “Up yours!”.

Beyond the childlike tone of the feud and the debatable relevance of Kapoor’s indelicate answer, which is vaguely reminiscent of the attitude of New York traders drinking champagne in front of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators, the Vantablack argument interestingly encapsulates several major evolutions undertaken by art during the two last centuries.

paint it

BLACK

FEATURES | 8

Anish Kapoor and the extremes of colour

Firstly, it demonstrates that, whereas fine arts were once mainly associated with drawing, they have tended to become more and more colour-centric. In a typical Renaissance studio, the master was only in charge of the layout while his assistants and his apprentices were charged to fill it with pigments, proving that colouring was considered as a secondary, even menial task. In the eighteenth century, Kant’s Critique of Judgement emphasized at length that art is related to lines and not to colours, since the latter are too versatile and dependent on subjective appreciation to play a significant role in the making of true and universal beauty. However, such an aesthetic stance was then seriously qualified by the rise of abstract art.

WORDS BY LUCIE RONDEAU DU NOYER

INSERTS (Descending): Kapoor’s ‘Up Yours!’ (Instagram), ‘Leviathan’ in MONUMENTA 2011 (Wikicommons), Kapoor @Rockefeller Centre (Mark Ball/Flickr)

S

“

Soulanges’ series of almost-identical abstract paintings convey the idea that black is a true colour to the extent that it can suggest, as every other hue, several nuances; black can depict light as well as darkness One of the consequences of that new importance of colour is a seemingly stronger emphasis on chromatic technology. Just as Kapoor’s Vantablack was partially conceived by physics researchers, Klein had to collaborate with Rhône-Poulenc, one of France’s biggest chemical companies, to develop his powerful blue pigment. In both cases, what is patented is therefore not the colour in itself but the sum of industrial devices and processes that enables the artist to produce a specific hue. If another visual artist managed to produce Klein’s blue without using his special mix of pigment and “Rhodopas M.” or the shade of Vantablack with another material, neither Kapoor nor Klein’s legal heirs would have the right to sue that artist. The fact that it is a technology and not a colour per se that is trademarked is rather good news for other artists, to the extent that there are several ways to artistically experiment with the power of colours without resorting to top-notch technologies. After all, Kapoor has not yet patented the right to paint in black, even if it can almost feel like it when you listen to his staunchest opponents.

Kapoor’s fascination with black is indeed widely shared among contemporary artists and some of them have already clearly demonstrated that it is possible to capture the intensity of blackness without Vantablack.

It is with rather low-tech means that Pierre Soulages, arguably the most famous French painter alive, has been exploring since the early sixties what he dubs the realm of “outrenoir”, that is to say ultrablack. Unlike Kapoor, his chromatic quest does not aim at producing a specific black that would be “the” definitive black. Conversely, his series of almost-identical abstract paintings convey the idea that black is a true colour to the extent that it can suggest,

as every other hue, several nuances. He adamantly defends that black can depict light as well as darkness, which is quite the opposite to Kapoor’s stance, mainly interested in the univocality of black.

Even if Kapoor’s monopoly on Vantablack will probably not impede the chromatic researches of others artists, his attitude still remains problematic because it proves how dominant a position he has secured in the art world. Because his works are immeasurably more valued than most of the art productions available on market, Kapoor can take the liberty to appropriate innovations for his sole use.

However, it would be fair to observe that Kapoor is not the only big name in the art industry to have a problem with appropriation. These past few years, no less rich and infamous artists Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst have also been disparaged for their tendency to appropriate the creative work and researches of others.

For instance, thanks to his flourishing “firm”, Jeff Koons does not hesitate to bend in his favour the rules of copyrights and intellectual property. For his Banality sculptures and installations, he did not pay the rights for all the pictures that inspired some of his most famous pieces, and paying higher fees in the three ensuing legal battles did not turn out to be a problem for him when he had to do so in 2015. The removal of the incriminated sculptures from his big retrospective in Centre Pompidou (Paris) did not cause major outrage, nor diminish the value of his works.

In the same vein, when earlier this year Nigerian artists accused Damien Hirst of cultural appropriation because he had featured in his Venice Biennale show a golden replica of a fourteenth-century Yoruba sculpture, taken to the British Museum during the colonial period, their incriminations were poorly showcased in art magazines and general press, and the reviews emphasized rather that the exhibition was a smashing come-back and would surely result in substantial financial gains for Hirst.

When criticized for importing ruthless and capitalistic practices into the artistic world, Kapowor, Koons, Hirst and other contemporary art stars usually do not feel the need to defend themselves. Confident in their own creative genius and assured by their wealth and fame, it is easy for them to present their detractors as jealous, frustrated and less-talented counterparts, or to choose to remain silent and impervious to any form of criticism. Their haughtiness partially accounts for their success, and the power of fascination they exert upon art collectors and world audiences. Unfortunately, it also quashes an important debate: isn’t it time to implement minimal regulations in the highly speculative and almost crazy worldwide art market, where nowadays the winners take it all, and can even extend their power to art components as basic and necessary as colours? ■

Anish Kapoor, ‘Leviathan’ in MONUMENTA 2011, Grand Palais Paris (Wikicommons)

| FEATURES

In the twentieth century, several leading painters decided to prove that colour was self-sufficient to create an artwork. In that respect, the French painter Yves Klein might be considered one of the artists who went even further. Obsessed by a certain tone of ultramarine blue that he defined as the shade of the sky above Nice, his Mediterranean hometown in the South of France, he devoted much of his artistic endeavours to devise his “International Klein Blue” (IKB). Once he managed to find the right formula, most of his paintings consisted of monochromes, that is to say canvases partially or completely covered in bright IKB, up to the point that the whole of Klein’s artistic identity can be rightly summed up by his iconic blue.

9

T o p

Television P i c k s TV Editors Roxane von Hurter and Lily Casson look back at their favourite shows of the year, as well as a sneaky peak forward into 2018.

■ Poldark ■

There are so many things to admire about Poldark: windswept clifftops, rolling seas, rigorous agriculture, fancy jackets, dramatic staring into the middle distance, sneaky shifts in churches, the best hair this side of Bodmin, and a healthy dose of shirtlessness. Irish actor Aidan Turner turned in another swashbuckling run as eighteenth-century Cornwall’s resident rogue in series three, but the supporting cast also put in strong work, from everyone’s favourite rebellious stepson turned forbidden romance wingman Geoffrey-Charles (newcomer Harry Richardson) to the last hurrah of definite witch Great Aunt Agatha (a venerable Caroline Blakiston). Fans of big-budget period dramas like The Crown and Peaky Blinders will find this worth catching up on.

■ Big Little Lies ■

Despite some hesitations (everyone seems a little too Hollywood and perfect in those big ocean-front mansions…), watching this star-studded hit was surprisingly fun. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Skarsgard, Adam Scott and Zoe Kravitz all shine in this soccer-mom-style thriller and the writing is excellent to boot. What you may initially resent in the first few episodes - namely the unfathomably large houses and Witherspoon’s chippy presence - you soon realise are are indispensable features of the show. The houses create empty and cold spaces in a pocket of wealth (Monterey, California) and Witherspoon wins your sympathy as she tries to please everyone in her life, for the most part succeeding. It’s also brilliantly told in a reverse narrative, beginning with the murder of an unknown victim and expanding to a series of interviews which reveal more about the characters.

■ Sneaky Pete ■

■ Star Trek: Discovery ■

The Star Trek universe continues to ride the fresh injection of cool, sparked by a blockbuster reboot trilogy with its first TV series in twelve years. Walking Dead alum Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Starfleet’s first mutineer, while Michelle Yeoh puts in a strong appearance as their first female captain of colour, and Jason Isaacs experiences something of a renaissance as the enigmatic, morally shady Gabriel Lorca. Set before the original series, it feels accessible for both new and returning fans. It features intriguing side characters, slick production, and a remarkable number of explosions for a series about peace-keeping explorers.

■ Game of Thrones ■

FEATURES | 10

The penultimate season of this televisual titan was one of longawaited revelations and reunions, but it almost didn’t make the cut. It featured noticeably uneven plots, a disregard for female characters, and inexplicable pacing (have the residents of Westeros all suddenly developed the ability to teleport?). It seems the showrunners are straying without the books’ meticulous structure to fall back on - but it’s still one of the most spectacular TV shows out there, with breath-taking sets, locations, and a top cast. There were great moments for most fan-favourites, from Tyrion Lannister (“You look a lot better brooding than I do”) to Davos Seaworth (“Thought you might still be rowing”) to Lyanna Mormont (the REAL MVP of the North).

This Amazon hit’s pilot episode was released in 2015 and was promptly followed by radio silence until January 2017, when a subsequent series arrived. It is, in this writer’s opinion, one of the best shows of the year.

Giovanni Ribisi (you may remember him as Phoebe’s brother in Friends) unexpectedly shines as the con artist lead in a duplicitous narrative. Ribisi plays Marius, who is on the run from Vince, a thug-lord played

by Bryan Cranston. On his release from jail he assumes the identity of Pete, his ex-cellmate who has told him in endless detail about his childhood, including a long-lost side of the family. What follows is a continuous clash between Marius’ old life and his new one as Pete, and it makes for fascinating and fun watching.

■ Atypical ■

A Netflix original comedy which slipped relatively under the radar, Atypical tackles issues not always represented on television.

The plot revolves mainly around Sam Gardner (relative newcomer Keir Gilchrist), who is eighteen and on the autism spectrum. When Sam decides he wants a girlfriend, we watch his mission unravel. What ensues around him is a touching depiction of a family trying to get by amid the influence of autism - sometimes positive, sometimes negative, often funny, always compelling. It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) as Sam’s mum Elsa, but it is really Gilchrist’s performance that steals the show, evoking empathy and humour. This one is definitely worth a watch.

Looking Forward to 2018

■ Doctor who ■

The next ten-episode run of Doctor Who will star the first female incarnation of its legendary eponymous time-travelling alien. Jodie Whittaker takes over from the departing Peter Capaldi, who will make his final appearance in the 2017 Christmas special. Even if you’ve never seen an episode before, this is the perfect chance to give it a try, as each regeneration acts as a semi-clean slate for the series. A new showrunner (Broadchurch writer Chris Chibnall replaces Sherlock showrunner Steven Moffat), a new TARDIS set, a new outfit, a whole host of new companions, and a new leading lady – a new lease of life for Saturday sci-fi’s favourite icon?

■ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ■

Coen Brothers. Western. Netflix. The potential to be well written, well acted, and on demand binge-able? Put this one on the watch list. The series will have an anthology style, containing six tales in the Coens’ distinctive western setting. Alongside James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson is set to play the title character, who you’ll recognise as Delmer O’Donnell from the Coens’ earlier feature O Brother Where Art Thou (then appearing alongside George Clooney and John Turturro). The Coens have an amazing ability to create network worlds in which seemingly nothing has anything to do with each other until everything does, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in a series format and on the American frontier.

■ His Dark Materials ■

This adaptation of Philip Pullman’s dark, unforgettable fantasy trilogy was announced way back in 2015, but it looks like the earliest it will air is autumn-winter 2018. Details of the production have been kept a closelyguarded secret. We know that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne has been given the series’ pen (either a good thing or a very bad thing, depending on your opinion of the fandom-divisive stage play).

The extended runtime of a TV series should mean it can remain ‘loyal to the books’ – particularly in light of the less-than-successful film version released in 2007 – and as it’s being made by the BBC, expect a stellar cast and big-budget cinematography.

■ The Chi ■ ■ Cloak & Dagger ■ TV is already saturated with Marvel productions, but if you must watch one in 2018, watch out for Cloak and Dagger. It’s an adaptation of a lesserknown comic book about two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks who have to juggle falling in love with managing their strange superhuman abilities. Olivia Holt stars as Tandy, renamed Dagger for her ability to emit and control bolts of light, while Aubrey Joseph stars as Tyrone, renamed Cloak for his ability to engulf people in darkness. If the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t already too overcrowded, this could be an intriguing standalone series.

Emmy Award-winning Lena Waithe, of Master of None notoriety, creates, stars and executive produces this new coming-of-age drama set on the southside of Chicago. It follows a group of residents, including Straight Outta Compton’s Jason Mitchell, Moonlight’s Alex Hibbert and Sleight’s Jacob Latimore, who find that their lives suddenly collide. The show comes courtesy of a primarily African-American cast and production team, as well as being directed by Nigerian-American Rick Famuyiwa (Dope). At its core, the show promises to be about realities of living in the city’s south side, complete with drama, danger, sadness and, knowing Waithe, some humour too.

A sci-fi drama in which J.K Simmons (Whiplash) playing Howard Silk, a lowly employee at a bureaucratic UN agency bored and lonely, until he discovers that the agency is guarding a dark secret. Simmons’ haggard and wise face alone will make this one to watch, with the first episode directed by Morten Tyldum of The Imitation Game and Passengers fame.

The show is set to explore themes of identity and idealism, especially when Howard discovers he has an “other” who is identical to himself and living in a parallel dimension…

WORDS BY ROXANE VON HURTER & LILY CASSON

| FEATURES

■ Counterpart ■

11

Book Flood The

nstead of discussing who the Black Hood may be before a 9am sociology lecture, imagine heated debates that were had over the protagonist in the latest historical fiction. Instead of stilted conversation with your hairdresser about where you’re off to tonight, a discussion of the latest bestseller and whether it really lived up to the author’s last work. Initiating small talk with “what have you read lately?” as opposed to discussing dissertations (dissertations are like dreams. No one cares about anyone’s but their own).

This is not just a book-lover’s dream, but a reality for Icelanders.

Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, was the first non-English speaking city to be awarded the title of UNESCO City of Literature in 2011. This city exudes adoration and appreciation for literature. Literary tours are easily accessible, with some even downloadable to smartphones, as well as benches dotted around the city which sync to an app that offers audio readings.

FEATURES | 12

The Icelandic proverb “ad ganga med bok I maganum” translates directly to “everyone has a book in their stomach”. For the natives, this translates to “everyone has the desire to give birth to a book”. According to UNESCO, Iceland’s small population of 340,000 contains more writers and more books published per capita than any country in the world. Though literature appreciation and the tradition of writing stories is deeply ingrained within Iceland, we cannot ignore that inspiration may come from the stunning backdrop of the country itself. Even outside of Icelanders themselves, writers globally are entranced by the scenery. Take J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbits - inspired by Icelandic elvish mythology - or even our own Seamus Heaney who recounts facing “the unmagical invitations of Iceland” in his poem ‘North’. But why is literature ingrained so deeply in Icelandic culture? How did these people get so lucky? This is the question on every bibliophile’s lips. Well, it all comes back to their Christmas tradition of “Jolabokaflod” or, in the closest English translation, the Christmas “Book Flood”.

When does Christmas officially begin? This is an often debated question here in Ireland. Some people will say it’s not the festive season until a mince pie has been eaten, or maybe not before the Christmas lights have

been switched on. Maybe you only start celebrating after you’ve seen Love Actually or attended Christmas movie screenings at the Lighthouse. I know I only start feeling festive after two annual events, the first being my initial use of the Mariah Carey ‘festive’ gif and the second being a drunken sing-a-long of The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’. However, in Iceland, Christmas has an official start. There is no debate. Christmas begins when the annual book catalogue is delivered to all homes. This catalogue contains nearly all the books published that year, and is the ultimate guide to gift-giving for Icelanders. When this catalogue is delivered, Icelanders begin to pick out the books they will be gifting that year. It is tradition to open all presents on Christmas Eve,, and everyone will receive at least one or two books. This leads to a rather more wholesome version of Christmas Day. In the lead-up to this, bookstores and libraries across Iceland begin to resemble popular gig venues, with celebrated authors doing readings and other literary themed events taking place.

The history of the Book Flood dates back to World War Two. Rations meant that Christmas gift options were limited due to lack of imports.

Icelanders had money and they had paper. From this, books became the gift of choice. This tradition has lasted, probably because of the deeply rooted role books play in the typical Icelandic Christmastime. What nicer way could one spend Christmas other than reading?

The Book Flood has had obvious positive effects on Icelandic culture.

Conversations become focused upon the topic of books - who is reading what, how certain authors are doing, what will be the most popular books of the year. This lends a certain intellectual reputation to the people of Iceland. Certainly, it is a deeply intellectual country - where else would small talk immediately go to literature? It does seem more intriguing than the weather to just about everyone you see. Never mind small talk, where else would book reviews get pride of place on primetime TV? Media which is more popular in Ireland, like cinema, are shunned to radio late at night or early in the morning. ■

ILLUSTRATION BY GLORIA IP

I

Stop dreaming of a White Christmas; an Icelandic Christmas is where it’s at

In case you want to emulate an Icelandic Christmas, here is a short gift guide to what are likely to be the most popular books this Christmas season:

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls Elena Favilli Illustrated by sixty female artists from all over the world, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls tells us about the extraordinary lives of one hundred absolute queens, from pirates to scientists to ballerinas. A perfect gift, these lives are all told in fairy tale format, each with an accompanying portrait.

Penguin Random House (2017)

WORDS BY SORCHA MAY JUDGE

5.

Has there ever been a happy Christmastime without an underlying Harry Potter theme? (I mean, probably, yes. For other people at least.)

Nevertheless, this is a wonderful present for any dedicated fan. Based on the exhibition at the British Library, this book promises to give an insight into the classes taught at Hogwarts through manuscripts, illustrations, and original sketches.

2.

Swing Time

The Book of Dust:: La Belle Sauvage Philip Pullman The ideal gift for anyone who was a fan of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, this book will transport the reader straight back into the world of alethiometers, daemons, and of course, Dust with a capital D.

Bloomsbury Children’s Books (2017)

3.

4.

Zadie Smith

Penguin Books (2016) For those looking for something a little more literary fiction and a little less reminiscent Young Adult, Zadie Smith’s Swing Time would be more than appropriate.

This is a story of dancing, female friendship, and modern culture, set between London, New York, and West Africa. A book that is definitely not just for Christmas, but may make an appreciated present anyway.

Conversations with Friends Sally Rooney

Penguin Random House (2017) I’m not sure if any Trinity student managed to escape reading Sally Rooney’s debut novel this year but if you know a friend who has, it might just be your duty to correct that. The protagonist here is a Trinity student herself and is entangled in a number of messy relationships. Conversations with Friends is a perfect Kris Kindle gift, allowing your receiver to daydream that their life is more literary success and sensual affairs than guilty coffee breaks and procrastinating on Ussher 4.

| FEATURES

1.

Penguin (2017)

Harry Potter: A History of Magic J.K. Rowling

13

A virtual reality A Newbie’s Experience at Games Expo Ireland

O

ver the last weekend in November, TN2 Games and Tech Editor Seán Clerkin and I were lucky enough to attend the very first GXI (Games Expo Ireland) in the RDS, organised by the people behind Dublin Comic Con, the exposition aimed to spotlight all facets of the Irish games industry; E-sports, indie, retro AAA and tabletop games were all showcased.

This was also my first convention experience and I awaited it with giddy anticipation.

FEATURES | 14

Press Preamble On Friday evening, the floor was open to the press and a FIFA 18 tournament was run. Seán and I however, had little interest in the game and it was not long before we were wandering the as yet empty show floor. We came across rows of bare-trestle tables and wondered what would line them the next day. Beside them were rows of pristine high-end PCs that would be played on by numerous attendees, both young and old, for the majority of the weekend. I also watched Seán take his first leaps into the critically acclaimed Nintendo showcase, Super Mario Odyssey. His surprise at the game’s fun-but-grotesque first boss was priceless.

WORDS BY SAM HAYES

We Gotta Get Back The next morning, I was first to arrive and promptly began exploring the show floor. My curiosity drew me to the previously vacant rows of tables which were now lined with a treasure trove of retro consoles. The spread had been laid on by the 8-Bit Gaming Conference, an Irish Facebook page run by passionate enthusiasts. It was a feast for the thumbs. From Atari 2600 to the Sega Dreamcast, this ghetto of retro had a myriad of action.

There was adventure, racing, and competitive games from decades gone, including a mausoleum for Mario Kart which featured all of the home console iterations from the Super Nintendo through to the Wii, all set up on old CRT monitors nestled amongst a collection of promotional material for the games. I promptly gravitated toward the NES Console. It was my first experience with the control deck from 1985. I played a port of the first arcade game, featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles as they were then known in the UK and Ireland due to broadcasting regulations). It ostensibly plays like a primitive precursor to the beat ‘em up mechanics that would be refined in Super Nintendo titles such as Final Fight.

I Choose You After some deliberation, we turned our attention to a vendor selling American and Japanese confectionaries. I purchased a packet of peculiar snacks called Sesame M. They consisted of a thick peanut flavoured paste which was a touch thick in the gullet, surrounded by a chewy gelatines layer similar in texture to squid but lacking in any discernible flavour and encrusted with sesame seeds. The whole package was delightfully weird but I would not recommend them except as a curiosity. There were also Pokémon themed beverages of which I purchased two. One was a Jigglypuff-themed can claiming to taste of peach, the other, a Snorlaxthemed can with a grape flavour. After much deliberation, I elected to try the Jigglypuff-can, which was a decision I would live to regret. The drink tasted similar to Haribo peach loops. It was sickly sweet to my pallet. I have not been brave enough to try the Snorlax can.

Dressed to Impress At the event, there were a few cosplayers donning the garb of many popular video game characters. There was a swathe of people dressed as Overwatch characters such as Tracer and Mercy. Another popular game was The Legend of Zelda. I saw two very impressive Princess Zelda costumes. One was based on the Twilight Princess incarnation of the character and the other was based on the Breath of the Wild iteration. I also spied a Shredder (TNMT) and a Deadpool. However, without a shadow of a doubt, the most impressive cos-player of the weekend had manufactured a replica of the power armour from the Fallout games. This costume featured working hinges and an impressive looking fake rifle. The only thing we did not envy was getting out of the damn thing!

It’s A’Vive We wandered to the virtual reality section where the HTC Vive was being demoed. This was my first experience with VR. When the headset was placed over my eyes I felt a sensation that one only feels when they are presented with something truly new under the sun. I was no longer in an event hall in Ballsbridge; I was standing atop a skyscraper in a futuristic metropolis. Distant streetlights glimmered in hues of gold and pink. I was in a wondrous statey. Suddenly, drones swarmed in from left and right, which I quickly dispatched with the laser pistol I found in my hand while ducking behind a shield to evade their fire. It was a frantic flurry of laser lights and synthesised tones. It felt like no time at all before the goggles were removed from my head, but I felt a tingling sensation to jump back in.

Alas, there were other matters to attend to, such as our stomachs.

a game full to the “brimMrwithGrayscale: satisfying eureka moments

Interesting Indies There was a host of Indie developers present with whom I spoke with extensively. Three of these games in particular I feel are worthy of more attention than they are currently getting. The first is Backworlds, a puzzle game which allows the player to paint of the screen with a virtual cursor in order reveal objects another time in your current location into the present. The system provides for some interesting puzzles that are not available in games with less nuanced dual world mechanics. The second is Squid Monkey Studios’ Final Horizon, an action game in the vein of Star Fox with beautiful visuals. In this game, the player destroys an enemy’s shield with one set of lasers before finishing off the ship with another. I am interested to see if the developer can spin this Ikaruga-esque concept in some interesting ways in the final release. The final game which impressed me was Mr. Grayscale: a mind-bending puzzle game in which one can platform, faze through walls and rotate the entire stage. This game is creative and full to the brim with satisfying eureka moments.

The Trouble with Tournaments On Sunday, I spent the day participating in tournaments. Unfortunately, many of these clashed. This wasn’t so much a flaw of organisation so much as an inherent problem with long video and card game tournaments.

For this reason, I spent the entirety of Sunday playing in a Yu-Gi-Oh! tournament. The other players were incredibly friendly and I will certainly participate in similar tournaments in the future.

Closing Thoughts I thoroughly enjoyed my time at GXI. I met with interesting developers, played some great games with people, and made some questionable dietary decisions. The only thing that worries me was the sheer scale of the event in contrast to the sheer lack of people. It’s normal for conventions to start out small, but one as ambitious as this needs a minimum amount of people in order to ensure they turn a profit. However, if there is another GXI I will most certainly be in attendance and indeed I feel this won’t be my last convention. I, for one, cannot wait to play intriguing new games and meet interesting new people at such events in the future. ■

| FEATURES

PHOTOS BY SAM HAYES & SEÁN CLERKIN

You Might Want to Lay off the Mega Mushrooms, JumpMan At this point, Seán arrived. After a brief spin around one of Sega Rally’s courses, a photo opportunity arose for Seán with one of gaming’s most towering icons whose most recent appearance betrays his true size.

15

A Millennial’s Pink

As 2017 draws to a close, Fashion Editor Caroline O’Connor looks back on colour-of-the-year, Millennial Pink and its promotion of gender neutrality in fashion.

W

hen

Christian Dior stated, “tones of grey, pale turquoise and pink will prevail” it was certainly a premonition for 2017.

Throughout the year it-colour of the moment, millennial pink, has been seizing the fashion world, bringing with it fresh waves of both controversy and praise.

The colour has become ubiquitous, from the gotit-all Instagrams of fashion bloggers and celebrities to the catwalk shows of some of the industry’s leading designers. Although there has been some debate over the exact shade, it is widely agreed upon that it is a sort of dusty nude concoction creating a barely-there pastel, a justabout-pink pink. Yet, despite this contest it’s not the particular hue, but what it stands for that has been causing the most commotion.

FEATURES | FEATURES | 16

The official name was coined last year as Véronique Hyland of Elle Magazine mused upon why millennial women have become so captivated. “Remember when pink was déclassé? … This summer, we’re conspicuously reading Sweetbitter, drinking a matching glass of frosé, and Instagramming it all with our rose-gold iPhones”.

However, it is not exclusively millennial women who are enamoured.

Technically the shade is pink with the blue taken out, and while its chemistry may be disposing of all things stereotypically masculine, men across the globe are embracing the shade. Nothing brings gender into the fashion conversation quite like the colour pink, and 2017 has seen a revolution as the girly saccharine tones of the last century are being replaced by something fresh and androgynous. This new pink aims to be more than straightforwardly pretty and looks to challenge gender roles propped up by ingrained wardrobe conventions. Millennial pink is now being heralded as the pioneering shade of unisex pink, calling on the fashion world to embrace a more gender-neutral approach.

Gender neutrality is about challenging the meaning of gender and our

presumptions surrounding its clockwork conformities. Pink for a girl and blue for a boy has always seemed the status quo, but on what basis do we make this premise? In a 2007 study performed at Newcastle University, researchers speculated that women may gravitate more towards pink on an evolutionary basis. They suggested that as historically women were gatherers as opposed to hunters, their senses developed to detect ripe red berries. However, research critic Dr Ben Goldacre and fellow scientists found fault with the plausibility of this logic, claiming it only really proved how deep our pink-based bias runs. A person’s reading of colours is largely more likely to rely on their own cultural upbringing, as supported in a later study in 2013. Conducted on the Himba people of Namibia, where pink isn’t an associated female colour, women were shown not to have any preference towards pink or red tones. Similar cultural conflicts of colour association have developed on a wide range. While in Western society white is conventionally worn by brides, in Indian Hinduism it’s the colour worn by widows.

In fact, the well-rehearsed routine of pink and blue in Western culture is a relatively new invention. In the United States and Europe, these colours only began to be utilised as gender signifiers just prior to World War One and even then, took time to become commonplace. By 1918 the Ladies’ Home Journal remained confident in writing “the generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl”. The reason being that pink was seen as a stronger, confident colour, while blue was delicate and dainty.

Their view is backed up by Art History as women were often depicted in blue, being the colour traditionally connected to the iconography of the Virgin Mary. From the voluminous blue robe detailed with gold of Giotto’s ‘Ognisanti Madonna’ painted in 1310 to Degas’ ballerinas in ‘Dancers in Blue’ of 1895, blue was the colour of women.

Millennial pink is now being “heralded as the pioneering

shade of unisex pink, calling on the fashion world to embrace a more gender-neutral approach Despite its symbolic evolution, the sight of a woman wearing blue remains nothing out of the norm. However, since the 1940s when pink was decisively recognised as the signifier of the female gender, the reversal of men wearing pink has become seeped in social stigmatism. In a long-established society where men have been shamed for expressing stereotypically feminine qualities, the intense bias attached to pink has dissuaded many from incorporating it into their wardrobe. 2017’s blossoming popularity of millennial pink amongst men is a true testament

to the changing attitudes of modern Western society, elevating pink to a place confidence in the male fashion arena. A new culturally-aware generation is emerging and aiming to reclaim pink. As the movement has gained momentum new enterprises such as ‘Pinkstinks’ have formed. The campaign takes an oppositional stance to the classification of pink, and highlights the damage caused by marketing which heavily stereotypes young girls, describing how they believe “all children – girls and boy – are affected by the ‘pinkification’ of girlhood”.

“whenHowever, pink

acting as the underlying shirt, leaves us contemplating whether the gender of the model really held any meaning to the design aesthetic. As the fashion world wakes up to gender neutrality, three of the industry’s biggest names, Raf Simons of Calvin Klein, Alessandro Michele of Gucci and Christopher Bailey of Burberry are leading the way, having each recently combined their womenswear and menswear collections into a single unanimous catwalk show. Gucci’s 75-look extravaganza at Milan fashion week was set in an all-pink, glitzed out venue where the first female model stepped out in millennial pink trousers, matched with a windowpane check pinkand-grey suit jacket. The outfit was completed by a hot pink turban, the traditionally masculine headwear further challenging our relationship between fashion and the sexes.

since the 1940s was decisively recognised as the signifier of the Millennial pink soared on female gender, the reversal of the spring-summer 2017 runway men wearing pink has become shows, appearing everywhere seeped in social stigmatism from Balenciaga to Celine

“

Meanwhile, the high-street is proving that gender neutrality isn’t just a runway fantasy, as Zara released their ungendered collection in 2016.

Following suit, John Lewis became the first major fashion retailer to scrap allocated girls and boys signs in their childrenswear department and opting for gender-neutral labelling on their own-brand clothing up to the age of fourteen. In the line-up given by Dior, he wouldn’t have expected millennial pink to be the grey. The perfect neutral between its two vying counterparts, the colour is now as likely to be seen in a menswear collection as a little girl’s dress-up box. Once fixated gender hang-ups have proven possible to be uprooted, we are reigning in a new fashion generation draped in millennial pink. ■

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATION BY CAROLINE O’CONNOR

Sacai Spring Summer 2017

Gucci Spring Summer 2017

| FEATURES | FEATURES

Millennial Pink planted its roots back in 2013 as it-girl Cara Delevinge starred in a pink-themed photoshoot for British Vogue alongside two pastel-dyed puppies. It was spotted again the following year in the painted pink ground floor of the hit film Grand Budapest Hotel. Pantone announced rose quartz as their 2015 colour-of-the-year, but its floral tones remained a little too cutesy to really take root. Fast-forward to 2017 and the company selects ‘Pale Dogwood’ for their Spring fashion report, describing how “this more unilateral approach to colour is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity.” In accordance to this, millennial pink soared on the spring-summer 2017 runway shows, appearing everywhere from Balenciaga to Celine. Japanese-born Chitose Abe of Sacai included three pink looks in her unisex menswear show. The juxtaposition of a conventionally masculine silhouette with a feminine cliché in the form of an all-pink tailored suit, with oversized white fishnet

17

BAD BEAN. Aoife Breen spills the beans on what it’s like to subsist solely on baked beans for one tumultuous week. passed up. Firstly, they were Heinz beans, which as everyone knows, are a disgustingly inferior product in comparison to the institution of beans that is Bachelors. Secondly, I’m certain that there’s an entire Jamie Oliver book dedicated to feeding yourself and a family of four for less than 50c a day. In my defence, it was a horribly rainy day, and I had drunk one of the aforementioned bottles of wine the night before, so my sense of judgement wasn’t quite at its peak.

As I was lugging my seven packets of beans home in the rain (because I couldn’t afford frivolities such as transport) it hit me that I might possibly find it difficult to subsist solely on beans. My smugness was soon replaced with dread. However, if I’m anything, I’m a creative thinker, so I pulled myself up by the bootstraps and made the most of it. The following recipes are not something you may ever wish to try at home, but bear with me.

BEANS.

So last week I got a shock, of the worst, financial after-the-earthquake kind. After living in scandalous levels of excess for the past few weeks, the money I had made pretending to answer the phone and stamping post in my summer job, had finally run out. Knowing that if I made the “I can’t afford to eat” phone call home to Tipperary, my hands and feet might literally be cut off (as it’s not as if I didn’t have more than enough), I resigned myself to a dire fate.

A BUDGET.

Now, I’m not talking the kind of budget where you only have one night out a week. I’m talking avoiding college so you don’t have to spend €3.30 on public transport and googling whether Aldi or Lidl is cheaper for bags of plain pasta (which you’ll be consuming without sauce).

On the way home, for 40c, I bought a gone-off toffee crisp from a stall which said, ‘TO BE SOLD AS A MULTIPACK’. With the boundless energy I received from its questionable sugar content, I strolled into Lidl with only one thing on my mind: subsistence.

While combing the aisles for bargains, it struck me that if I hadn’t spent all my money ‘treating myself ’ to €7.50 bottles of wine (that I just mixed with various juices anyway), burgers, and multiple luas fines, then I could be eating reasonably priced ravioli every night. Unfortunately, even a stirfry mix was above me at this stage. I racked my brain to try to figure out how to feed myself for the week and also pay for (what would have to be a single) ticket home to beg for extra funds in person.

FEATURES | 18

Just as the E numbers in my toffee crisp began to wear off, I spotted a bright light among endless packets of cut-price Italian almond brittle.

Beans. Seven packets in fact, for the low low price of only €2.30. I felt an instant sense of relief, this was an opportunity I simply couldn’t afford to pass up. In hindsight, it most definitely was an opportunity I should have

MONDAY.

On Monday, I went for a classic. I figured that I’d start myself off with something basic to ease myself into this experiment of mine.

BEANZ ON TOAST Ingredients: Beans Sourdough bread Real butter (softened) Good quality olive oil Sea salt Half a white onion Fresh basil Finely chop your onion and add it to a pan with hot olive oil and the sea salt and pepper to taste. While the onion is in the pan, grill two thick slices of sourdough on a grill pan with a light brushing of olive oil (don’t forget to turn them). After the onions are sweated to your satisfaction, add them into a saucepan with your tin of beans and heat them until piping hot. Then, liberally butter your bread and arrange the slices on a plate.

Finally, pour your beans over the two slices and cut up some fresh basil to garnish. Note: I did not ‘technically’ own this bread, ‘technically’ I stole it from my housemate (they are rich in more than one kind of dough). In the spirit of this article, I encourage you to do the same.

“

While combing the aisles for bargains, it struck me that if I hadn’t spent all my money ‘treating myself’ to €7.50 bottles of wine (that I just mixed with various juices anyway), burgers, and multiple luas fines, then I could be eating reasonably priced ravioli every night.

TUESDAY

Fresh off yesterday’s success, I felt confident and assured that this week was mine for the taking. I laughed thinking that I might have surrendered to pasta and Dolmio every night. This sense of smugness proved to be slightly premature.

SMUG FRITTATA Ingredients: Beans 3 eggs Frozen sweetcorn Two good handfuls of spinach Half an onion One clove of garlic Strong cheddar cheese Good olive oil Boil and drain the sweetcorn then set aside. Mince your garlic and finely chop your onion, then add them to a heated pan of olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and dried oregano and sweat them in the pan. Roughly grate approximately half a cup of your strong cheddar and then whisk the three eggs briskly. Combine the eggs with the beans and sweetcorn and mix quickly before adding to the pan along with the cheese. Add the spinach on top then turn down the heat and cover the pan allowing the frittata to set. Serve with toasted pitta breads.

This was a low point. The level of effort and the end result were disturbingly divorced from one another. In short, this was awful. The sweetcorn was unnecessary, and I had to watch those around me (the well-nourished and balanced budget flatmates) eating things like spaghetti while I suffered though Rachel Allen’s Literal Worst Nightmare (she was also, rather mockingly, speaking at The Phil the week of my ordeal). The beans that had comforted me the night before now caused nothing but feelings of resentment and hatred. I went to sleep full but unfulfilled.

Finely chop the scallions and roughly chop the chorizo and then add both to the pan with olive oil and chili flakes. In a bowl, combine the beans and tomatoes (adding in salt and pepper, and when the chorizo has been lightly browned add in the bean/tomato mixture). Then make two hollows and crack two eggs into them. Adjust the heat and cook until the eggs are done to your satisfaction. Serve with white bread, toasted and liberally buttered.

Honestly, this would be fine if I hadn’t been eating beans so often. It’s FINE.

THURSDAY

I hit a wall Thursday. I saw someone with a pizza on my walk home and maybe it was the biting wind, but I definitely felt something approaching a tear. I was sick of being the Bear Grylls of my own kitchen. I didn’t want to just survive anymore, I wanted to LIVE. This attitude led me to this recipe, it’s not something I would actually even really want someone to see me eating.

CHEESY BEANS Ingredients: Beans Feta cheese Strong Cheddar Mozzarella This one is not rocket science. Cut up or grate your various cheeses and feel free to substitute and add different cheeses at your leisure. Then heat up the beans and add the cheese. Stir it all together and eat it out of the pot because you are a disgusting, financially irresponsible human being and it also saves on the washing up.

WEDNESDAY

I approached Wednesday with caution. Tuesday night had shook me, and I was beginning to get morbidly jealous of people eating literally anything without a bean in it. s I tried to cover up my fear and disappointment with incessant references to it only costing €2.30 for SEVEN TINS, my friends had reached breaking point with my constant reference to the beans.

BEANS AND EGGS "BEAN SHAKSHUKA"

FRIDAY

On Friday, I bought my single ticket back to Tipperary and spent the entire journey practicing excuses for why I literally don’t seem to understand the concept of not spending all your money yet also somehow having nothing to show for it. I did not consume a single bean on Friday and I have not since. If anyone wishes to purchase my surplus beans please contact me directly, I need the money. ■

WORDS & ILLUSTRATIONS BY AOIFE BREEN

| FEATURES

Ingredients: Beans Two eggs Two scallions Chili flakes Half a tin of chopped tomatoes One and a half handfuls of chopped chorizo Good olive oil

19

N E V E S THE

: 7 1 0 2 F ST O

BE D

M L I F N I R A YEA

ecember is upon us, meaning it’s ample time to begin contemplating the finest 7 films that 2017 has bestowed upon us (see what we did there!). As we head into awards season, 2017 has been an industrious year for both blockbuster and arthouse films, with its fair share of scandal and misogyny thrown into the mix. From superhero sagas to low budget horror thrillers, to dystopian sci-fis and politically driven foreign imports, we’ve barely scratched the surface of the bounty of offerings that 2017 has offered. But how many have you watched?

7.

Silence

Dir.Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese, a man who spent a year in a seminary before starting to craft his way into filmmakers legendary status, has never shied away from his connection to spirituality and human nature. Whilst it is not Scorsese’s best film (a hard feat to beat at this stage), it is definitely his most audacious. It’s unnecessarily long, but is seldom boring and visually and symbolically stunning.

However, those not exulted by the inner cyclical workings of devotion and faith will find this a hard slog. The point is, there is no point, kind of thing.

.

6

Wonder Woman

FEATURES | 20

Okay, so I had to include one superhero film in this list. Patty Jenkins broke box office records for a female director as the opening weekend of Wonder Woman reeled in an impressive $223 million at the box office. Wonder Woman breathes new life into the increasingly dilapidated superhero blockbuster genre.

The CGI is fantastic, the plot and storyline delve into Greek mythology with a feminine vigor and Gal Gadot is mesmerising as our female heroine. The much anticipated sequel is already underway.

Dir. Patty Jenkins

5.

Blade Runner 2049

I usually hate sequels, but this adaptation of Ridley Scott’s dystopian classic is one of those rare times when a sequel to a classic absolutely nails it. In this era of technology and CGI, it’s not hard to top its 35 year old counterpart’s visual aesthetic. Blade Runner 2049 re-envisions the themes of the 1982 classic story in the year 2049, as the world’s climate is spinning out of control. The desperation and sense that total disaster is just lurking around the corner has never been so poignantly relevant. Even Harrison Ford puts in a stellar performance alongside the endlessly brooding Ryan Gosling, suggesting an evolution of masculinity within blockbuster films from the days of solemn stoicism as masculine representation in films. Did I say it’s visually stunning? Well, it really is.

Dir. Denis Villeneuve

3.

4.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Colin Farrell teams up again with director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) for another absolutely bonkers social critique on the absurdities of human interaction. It’s an uncomfortable watch, like nails on a chalkboard, the tension becomes almost unbearable. But stick with it, the human interactions and dark-comedic provocations are hugely entertaining and vividly absurd. Barry Keoghan’s standout performance scratches another notch on the post of his flourishing career.

The Meyerowitz Stories

there is a new Adam Sandler film, specifically for Netflix and it’s surprisingly terrific! Boasting Dir. Noah Baumbach Yes, a cast of heavyweights such as Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, but incredibly,

.

2

it’s Sandler who steals the show. He is hilariously charming in his portrayal of a recent divorcee with a limp, whose inability to hold down a steady job seems to be directly related to some deeper, complex, daddy issues. The Meyerowitz Stories is a compassionate and self-indulgent analysis of broken families with enough comedy thrown in to avoid a spiral into a grim narrative arc. It unveils all the imperfections of family affection, yet leaves you thankful you are not directly related to any of the characters in the story.

Coming in at number 2 is the epic World War Two biopic Dunkirk. Christopher Nolan has become one of the most heralded and gifted storytellers in a generation. His technical superiority is on full display in this film, with the auxiliary effect of a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, creating a pulsing, almost deafening enactment of a World War Two story. It grabs you by the eardrum and refuses to let go until the credits roll. Told as three separate stories (Land, Sea and Air), within three different time narratives, the non-linear plot can be somewhat distracting and disorienting. However, it is so much easier to admire this film for its technical abilities than its flawed character complexities.

.

1

Dunkirk

Dir. Christopher Nolan

Call Me By Your Name Dir. Luca Guadagnino

These seven films are notable for their ability to demonstrate diversity in an industry that has become somewhat lacking in imagination. Perhaps more than ever, there is a need for new voices with alternative approaches that can breath fresh life into a stagnant industry. As we look towards the 2018 awards season, these seven films offer a fresh, diverse perspective that are all worthy of honourable mentions. ■ WORDS BY SIMON JEWELL

| FEATURES

My standout film for 2017 has to be Luca Guagagnino’s coming out and coming of age story. A film that fills you with life, interrogates the infidelities of sexuality and gets you right in the feels with its gut-wrenching portrait of two lovers attempting to find themselves before summer is over. Timothée Chalamet, as a relative newcomer, is enthralling in his portrayal of a teenager attempting to understand the insecurities and anguish that come with first love. However, it is one of the final scenes that will remain with the audience and I expect various judging panels come awards season. Michael Stuhlbarg, playing the role of the compassionate father, delivers a speech of tender openness and maternal compassion that transforms this complex love story to one of empathetic indifference, carrying the weight of the emotional layers of this utterly beautiful film.

21

T

Colm O’Halloran takes a look at a quaint little festival of real talent

here’s something special about the Other Voices music festival, which takes place in Dingle from the 1st to the 3rd December this year. It’s a quiet and intimate festival that has run since 2002 and has hosted an eclectic range of acts both known and unknown. It’s the festival that’s crafted local Irish talent like Hozier, Villagers, Otherkin, Little Green Cars and showcased international acts like Amy Winehouse, Ellie Goulding, The National and Snow Patrol.

The beautiful St. James’ Church casts its ethereal shadow as the festival’s main venue. You enter through the iron gates and walk on the courtyard gravel to the church, sit down and await an experience like no other. The acts take their place on a decorated stage at the top of the church and the audience sit on pews a few feet away. The venue itself is tiny, fitting fewer than 50 people and a few cameras, but this serves a real intimacy; like one is about to witness something truly amazing. The lineup for St James’ Church this year heralded something extraordinary with an eclectic group of acts; the indie rock band Django Django filled the church with psychedelic vibes, English hip-hop artist Loyle Carner hit his rhymes over some smooth beats, Perfume Genius rang out his art pop and queer soul, Songhoy Blues brought their Malian desert blues, the Bray trio Wyvern Lingo cast echoes with their angelic harmonies.

Booka Brass rousing a cheering and dancing crowd in the packed Dingle Brewing Company. It is these local establishments which give such flavour to the festival. Local pubs like McCarthy’s, Nellie Fred’s and An Chonair give a community feel while the Dingle Brewing Company and An Diseart Chapel Museum provide a more unusual and peculiar vibe. You can wander around from venue to venue and, of course, pints are always a plenty. The Music Trail often features a variety of different genres and this year is no different with acts such as RSAG, Loah and Bitch Falcon. But I would definitely recommend going to the acts that you may not recognise; the beauty of stumbling into a pub and chancing upon something special is wholly rewarding.

As well as this, the Banter section of the festival forays into storytelling and interviews with a variety of characters. A few of the names involved this year were the esteemed playwright Enda Walsh, Emer Reynolds, who directed the space documentary The Farthest, and other talks ventured into such topics as technology, the future, trad music, the arts and many more. The festival encourages more than just being a spectator; it offers a chance to engage with the coastal village of Dingle through its pubs, shops, sights and people.

“ What really sets the festival apart

from others is that the whole village of Dingle becomes a venue for music, banter and good cheer

How does one buy tickets? That’s a good question and the sad answer is that you cannot buy tickets.

Tickets can only be won through competitions that the festival runs through their website and through social media platforms. I know this can seem disappointing and you may feel you’ll never win a ‘like and share’ competition on Facebook but the reward is truly worth the attempt. On the bright side, even if you don’t win tickets to the festival, the St. James’ acts are live streamed to several pubs across Dingle and you can enjoy all of the other music happening in the village. The festival is more than just the acts in St. James’ Church.

What really sets the festival apart from others is that the whole village of Dingle becomes a venue for music, banter and good cheer. Different establishments in the area play host as part of the Music Trail which is free to attend by all those in the village; I have a very distinct memory of seeing

FEATURES | 22

It’s an incredible festival that we have created here in Ireland and even more heart-warming is that we are sharing the Dingle festival with the world. Other Voices has now had festivals in Belfast, Berlin and Austin as well as curating stages at Electric Picnic and Latitude. The acts in St. James’ Church are recorded and shown on RTÉ at a later date and it is always a special treat to sit down and watch. There are also Other Voices playlists on Spotify which compile some of the best live recorded tracks from the series.

Other Voices, at its core, is a festival that merges music and community.

If you win the golden ticket through a competition, then you’re set for a unique experience. If you don’t win then you are still in for an amazing weekend in one of the friendliest villages on Earth; a weekend of music and craic. ■

WORDS BY COLM O’HALLORAN

A Dublin Christmas Hiram Harrington

Eleanor Braydon

W

ith Christmas just around the corner, Dublin is transforming.

Over the last few weeks lights have been strung up all over the place from Grafton Street to Henry Street and towering evergreen trees have decorated well-known spots such as St. Stephen’s Green and O’Connell Street. We set out to capture this magical transformation on camera. Head along to one of the many Christmas markets (Custom House Quarter’s has been hailed the best!) and enjoy the city in all its wintery glory. ■

WORDS BY ROBYN MITCHELL

Sophia McDonald Eleanor Braydon Robyn Mitchell

Hiram Harrington

| FEATURES

Sophia McDonald

23

REVIEWS Sia

●●●●○

The new Sia Christmas album, Everyday is Christmas, is fantastically festive. Sia, who never shows her face in live performances and interviews, is an enigma, but in this album she demonstrates that you can be both mysterious and enjoy mulled wine, pair a mask that covers your face with a festive jumper and be seriously into tinsel!

The album opens with ‘Santa’s Coming for Us’, in an exposed and vulnerable opening vocal line.

This quickly cuts into all the bells and whistles of your classic Christmas tune, with “doo-das” and constant sleigh bells backing . So damn catchy.

‘Candy Cane Lane’, the next track on the album, is jazzy and soulful. It is so incredibly contagious, and just the right amount of irritating that is acceptable in any Christmas song — I dare you not to dance listening to it. And then we’re onto a classically beautiful Sia ballad, ‘Snowman’, with a really special animated video to accompany it. It is a meditation on time running out and aging: “Don't cry, snowman, don't you fear the sun/Who’ll carry me without legs to run, honey/ Without legs to run, honey”. I really recommend both a watch and listen.

FEELER Alien She

●●●●○

REVIEWS |

24

music

EVERYDAY IS CHRISTMAS

There is even a song called ‘Puppies are Forever’, and it is truly and wonderfully awful. Honestly, it’s really terrible — worst song of the album.

Even so, it makes you think. Sia sings: “Cause they’re so cute and fluffy with shiny coats, but will you love ‘em when they’re old and slow”.

It is a lyric so lame that you almost wonder if it is ironic and you as a listener are too slow to understand its complexities. Sia is, after all, the woman behind profound and complex tunes such as ‘Chandelier’, whose lyrics and choreography of the mesmerising video starring Maddie Ziegler (who is on the cover of this album) contribute to an exceptionally moving account of alcohol and escape. Where is Shia LaBeouf dressed in a Santa costume in a cage with no other explanation given?

Perhaps, if we take this album at face value, it is intended as just an accessible and joyful album. After all, this truly does tick many of

Alien She’s debut studio album Feeler launched last Friday, to the double-fanfare of opening for Pussy Riot on Thursday and a launch party on Friday. I was at the Pussy Riot gig where the local Dublin punk band were the first of two opening acts, and their sound and energy helped set the tone for a phenomenal evening. Growlingly political and atmospherically moody, I was thrilled to have discovered this trio and googled them on the bus home as I digested my evening.

Alien She are Katie O’Neill, Aoife Mairéad Nic Dhonncha and Darragh McCabe. ‘Death Sentence’ (track 3) is a frenetic, agitated indictment of Irish abortion law — and an elegy to Savita Halappanavar. It served as the finale of their set and tied into the fiercely political punk energy of the evening. It’s a vividly feminist roar that contrasts with the frustration and apathy of ‘No Way Out’ (track 7), which articulates the frustration of millennial malaise and poverty in Dublin.

the boxes of a straight, tinsel-laced Christmas album. ‘Everyday is Christmas’, the title track of the album, is sweet, and the backing music is catchy and rhythmic. But there is something so wonderfully contradictory about Sia releasing a properly festive Christmas album, someone whose previously discography includes Healing is Difficult, Some People Have Real Problems and her breakthrough, 1000 Forms of Fear. I can’t wait to see some live performance videos — which will inevitably but inexplicably combine Christmas cheer and anonymity. It just seems so unlikely.

All in all, this is a wonderful album, though I am clearly biased because I love Sia. She’s wonderful.

Many of the songs are tacky and the melodies and lyrics perhaps a little more on the basic side, but isn’t that part of the joy of Christmas? While there are some incredibly impressive Christmas tracks, sometimes all we want is something we can sing along to, feeling festive for a limited amount of time. Sia concludes her Christmas album with ‘Underneath the Christmas Lights’, my favourite song of the album. Her voice truly is beautiful, and the harmonies and pace of the song chilling. Like so chilling that it makes you want to snuggle up with some eggnog. And I guess that’s her intention. Clever gal.

WORDS BY ELLEN ORCHARD

Their guitars are fuzzy-rich and minor-key with a grungy, rich sound, contrasted with the exhilarating heart-beat of a driving drumbeat.

O’Neill and Nic Dhonncha’s vocals move between a droning, punk monotone to growling and screaming over the ringing noise — they don’t sound pretty, they sound fierce. And damn, can they play.

All in all, the eight-track album has a very neoRiot Grrrl sound that brought me back to the nineties – fitting for a band named for a 1993 Bikini Kill song – and they really do evoke Kathleen Hana’s sound or similar bands like Jack Off Jill at their best. I look forward to hearing more from them and will be keeping my eye out for further gigs to attend as they come up, because their live energy is electric.

Feeler is available to stream on Spotify. Follow the band on Facebook for further updates.

WORDS BY MAIA MATHIEU

theatre AN OTHER PLAYBOY...???

Project Arts Centre

●●●○○

To say that director Bisi Adigun loves JM Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World would be an understatement. Ten years after premiering his version of The Playboy of the Western World in the Abbey Theatre, he has released another version, this time entitled An Other Playboy…??? which premiered in the Project Arts Centre on November 14.

The plot of the play remained loyal to the original. Christy Moore from the Mountains of Moore crashes into a Waterford pub one seemingly normal evening, telling the story of how he, with the aid of a hurley, murdered his own father. He becomes a revered hero in Kildagoat, with the inhabitants of the small village regarding him with awe and admiration. That is, of course, before they find out that much of his story is exaggerated.

The comical nature of the play was not lost in its dialogue. The second half was especially filled with some of the most hilarious one-liners I’ve ever heard in theatre. These one-liners particularly shined when it poked fun at long standing issues that Ireland has faced in our modern history: the conflict between nationalists and unionists, for example, or between Catholics and Protestants. It was a shame, therefore, to see that the delivery of such genius lines was not as great as one would have hoped. For one, I found that Amy Clarke’s portrayal of Peggy was over-acted, a choice that definitely worked in particular points of the play, but her overuse of it betrayed the fact that this play is her theatrical debut.

Adigun decided to colour-blind and gender-blind cast the production. The role of Michael Flaherty was convincingly portrayed by Yomi Ogunyemi, and the role of Shawn Keogh was played by Emma Brennan. While the decision to take such casting risks was commendable, I cannot say that the audience was not left confused, especially as the role of Peggy, Mike’s daughter, was played by a blonde, caucasian person. I think that this choice could have been explained during the course of the play, since a lot of the specifics of the play deviated from the original, and would have provided coherence.

In all, Bisi Adigun’s latest rendition of The Playboy of the Western World was entertaining and engaging. Although a few aspects of the play could have been improved and would have resulted in a much better production, the play did make a lasting impact on me, and definitely stayed with me long after I had gone home.

WORDS BY DANIELLE OLAVARIO

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN Abbey Theatre

●●●●●

Let The Right One In is worth its ticket price for the production value alone.

The performance sees the Abbey stage transformed into a forest, with lofty trees that hold an eerie realism. Music echoes between the branches and brings the viewer on an emotional journey ranging from intrigue to laughter to fear. Even at the most ostensibly light-hearted moments, the tense music which creeps through the fog keeps the viewer on edge and incites a growing sense of certainty that impending disaster is soon to follow. The cast outdo themselves throughout the performance with impressive feats, including a startling opening-sequence which would leave you googling how long a person can feasibly hang upside down for.

The allure of Let The Right One In lies in its subtleties. Although the play engages with supernatural elements, it will ultimately resonate with audiences for its insightful engagement with brutally human issues.

The play concerns itself with the question of bullying and the cycle of victimisation attached to it. Violence left unchecked is certain to escalate and manifest in unpredictable ways. The play demonstrates the

problematic impact this has on seemingly benign characters; Oskar, the young protagonist, is a victim of incessant bullying, but in turn steals from and torments the owner of the local sweet-shop. The school sports coach quietly supports Oskar in strengthening himself against his bullies while encouraging the tenets of hegemonic masculinity that leads the bullies to exert excessive force in the first place.

Katie Honan bodily captures the essence of her character, Eli, with impressive skill. Her languid movements hold an ethereal quality and she succeeds delivering engaging dialogue whilst navigating Eli’s considerably restrained speech patterns. Craig Connolly encapsulates twelve-year-old Oskar’s complexity. Equal parts naive and insightful, Oskar’s internal conflict is portrayed with precision and depth.

Directed by John Tiffany, this production of Let The Right One In takes a familiar story and reinvigorates it for the Abbey Stage. A haunting but enticing production, this play combines quietly genius acting with an engaging mise en scène and ageless story.

Let The Right One In runs in the Abbey Theatre until January 6, 2018.

WORDS BY LAUREN BOLAND

| REVIEWS

Let The Right One In is a beguiling tale of love and violence, and how the two interact. Based on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s 2004 novel of the same title, Let The Right One In follows a Swedish village haunted by a recent string of murders which have seen their neighbours strewn in the snow-covered forest, drained of blood.

25

film

Sean Baker’s latest film is a testament to the power of a child’s imagination in the face of adversity. Set in a struggling motel overshadowed

by Walt Disney’s Magical Kingdom, The Florida Project follows the adventures and misfortunes of six-year-old Moonee (Brooklyn Prince) and her friends over a summer. As Moonee’s mother, Halley (Bria Vinaite), becomes increasingly unable to make ends meet, she resorts to desperate means. Although Moonee remains largely oblivious, it becomes apparent that the options Halley is forced to choose between will have life-changing ramifications for her daughter. In the periphery of Moonee’s escapades a tragedy is unfolding.

What is enchanting about this film is its depiction of both generations earnestly trying to find a mutual language. The adults are as badly behaved as the children and both learn lessons that are infinitely harder than they are prepared for. But by engaging in the intuitive play of their children, the (extremely young) adults find a way of addressing their hardships.

THE FLORIDA PROJECT Dir. Sean Baker

●●●●○

However, as the film continues it transpires that the adults need the children in ways that the children are unaware of and totally unable to provide for. The charm in their awkward mimicry and digressive turns of imagination wears away. Mimicry proves insufficient to the

JUSTICE LEAGUE

performances that are required of them and the digression become evasions.

The film emphasises that what is redemptive about children is not their innocence but their ability to use their imagination and curiosity as a way of reconciling the loss of their innocence. It shows us how our need to believe in childhood becomes an imposition on the children, and how this imposition exerts a pressure that makes childhood anything but an innocent experience.

The speed of the last scene and abrupt ending draw attention to the artificial and provisional nature of what is ostensibly a ‘happy’ ending. It is a kind of wish-fulfilment, both in the sense that the children get what all children wish for and that it is what the audience and the narrative requires: an affirmation that childhood will prevail against the odds. The end, and the film as a whole, makes us aware of our need for their wish to come true and of our complicity in their bewildering experience of childhood.

WORDS BY FERGUS BURNAND

Dir. Zack Snyder

●●●○○

“Surprisingly pleasant” is how I would sum up the overall experience of watching Justice League. Predictably action packed, a lot of awkward sexual tension and plenty of great CGI-aided violence. For superhero fans, Justice League ticks many of the boxes. Unfortunately, however, the plot is all over the place, with the characters being rather superficial and the ending is frustratingly bland.

REVIEWS | 26

The problem with the plot is not that the story is poorly written but rather that there is little focus. Justice League tackles too much at once and feels like various films smashed together.

Primarily, it is about the coming together of a group; Batman rounding up Wonder Woman, the Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman to take on the villain Steppenwolf who attempts to take over all civilization. Although, it doesn’t establish a strong group dynamic by any means. Instead, it attempts to delve into all four main characters’ back stories. This was a mistake, the engrossing snippets we receive of each of the characters’ lives before they donned the latex leave you wanting to focus more on that rather than their very CGI-enhanced escapades against the Steppenwolf and his flying bug-like warriors. A final subplot involving Batman who had been killed in the previous film was ridiculous even for DC standards.

Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones) as Aquaman definitely had the strongest performance. His stubborn and witty character is wholly believable, making it all the more meaningful when he swallows his own pride and joins the Justice League to save the world from destruction. Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman is weak. No matter how poor the script writing may have been, every times he speaks it sounds almost intentionally clumsy and dry.

On the opposite end of the scales is Ezra Miller playing Flash. He is the perpetually awkward and quirky newbie and provides much needed comic relief, however, his childish nescience becomes irritating at times.

Considering Justice League cost over $300 million to make, there is not much excuse for

its descent into mayhem. Steppenwolf ’s quest to acquire all three ‘Mother Boxes’ that will give him complete power spans from his failed attempt thousands of years ago to the present day, meaning battle scenes are constantly jumping between different time periods.

Admittedly, the scenes that take place in the past are the most entertaining, especially when Steppenwolf confronts the Amazons, the female matriarchal Greek warriors wielding bow and arrows on horseback.

All in all, Justice League is entertaining, predictable, and fast-paced. It is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely worth the watch.

WORDS BY ROBYN MITCHELL

art

His stark palette of acidic yellows, glowing greens and bloody reds that make up his fields adds to the violent nature of the imagery of his bold compositions. These are not joyful, decorative colours by any means, but are inspired

by German Expressionism prior to the First World War, where colours were primarily used as emotive elements — to shock and sometimes disgust viewers. The bold black outlines that occasionally appear in the landscape give the

From an Irish perspective, William Crozier is mainly recognized for the vibrant landscapes he painted at his home in West Cork toward the end of his life. Bright pallets and large canvases are familiar to the public, as well as the deep hues and forms of the lyrical arrangement. However, pre-1990s Crozier had a much bleaker style, influenced by the European Expressionists, Existential writers and political climate of the post-war period. The Edge of a Landscape takes on the organization of an artistic catalogue so diverse as to have a screaming skeleton frozen as its skin burns in reference to the Nuclear Holocaust across the hall from colorful Spanishinfluenced rolling hills. The exhibition creates an incredibly moving experience by displaying Crozier’s work in reverse chronological order by decade, starting immediately with his wellknown style and familiar settings featured in the last decade of his life. As you walk through the well-planned rooms, you’re taken on a journey back through Crozier’s art style as well as his life. A deeply personal artist, his works focus on questions of humanity in response to the historic events he was living through. WWII, nuclear warfare, and the Troubles, intermingled with questions of religion and society are just some

These anti-romantic, bleak impressions of the Irish landscapes, and the histories that weigh them down, show a true connection between the artist and his environment, something that remains to be seen in contemporary art.

●●●●●

of the themes featured in this exhibition, where Crozier questions the darkness of the human spirit. Despite traveling through a lifetime of artistic works, the exhibition is neatly contained, not overwhelming the viewer by including a handful of paintings in each section. Perhaps the biggest draw of the exhibition is the unique chance to walk through Crozier’s work while watching both his style and understanding of the world change. The colorful and vibrant Crozier style toward the end of his life slowly darkens, both literally and figuratively, as we go back in time. Expressive brushwork becomes more frantic, evoking a young man deeply pessimistic in his view of Britain’s post-war landscape and humanity itself as we reach the final room.

Trends become apparent, the development of his lone existential figure and its eventual decline in his work, as well as his continuing connection to the landscape in each decade. A small exhibition and completely free to view, William Crozier: The Edge of a Landscape is a unique and compelling exhibition for artists, historians, and humanists alike.

●●●●○

William Crozier, Turk Head, 2003, Oil on canvas.

WORDS BY KYLIE MCBRIDE

Crozier was fifteen years old when WWII ended, too young to be involved in the war, but old enough to be deeply scarred by its effects. This anxiety is palpable in the confrontational nature of these paintings as he found himself in Ireland during the beginning of the Troubles in the North, the atrocities of which would dominate his canvases throughout the 1970s.

The highlight of the exhibition, and perhaps most poignant example of how deeply affected Crozier was by WWII, is ‘Crossmaglen Crucifixion’ (1975). While the subject matter of paintings like ‘Winged Figure’ remains ambiguous, this is absolutely a political picture. A cadaverlike figure stands out, crucified in the centre of the canvas — the viewer is forced to look at its exposed muscles, achieved by repetitive yellow lines that add a sickly, rotting quality to the figure. A river of blood flows around the figure and leads to a tilting church steeple of which we are not told the denomination. This is a clear reference to the sectarian violence that was paralysing the country. Crozier’s painting of works such as this and his adoption of Irish citizenship were political acts in themselves, as it was around this time that the IRA were starting their campaign in the UK.

William Crozier, The Rowan Tree, 1982

WORDS BY STACEY WRENN

Winged figures, blood-drenched landscapes, crucifixions; IMMA’s retrospective of the work of William Crozier (1930-2011) is that of the apocalypse, stripped of its religiosity and set in rural Ireland. Crozier is best known for his lyrical landscapes of his home in West Cork, but the tone of this exhibition is much darker and more explicitly political than that of the first part on display at the West Cork Arts Centre this summer.

| REVIEWS

IMMA

suggestion that it wasn’t always like this, that the darkness was an unnatural addition by the people populating the area. The malevolent crouching creatures as in ‘Winged Figure’ (1970) are reminiscent of those of Francis Bacon, whose work he had become familiar with during his formative years in Paris.

Crossmaglen Crucifixion (1975), oil on canvas

WILLIAM CROZIER: EDGE OF LANDSCAPE

27

TV

Early on, Frank befriends Donny, a fellow construction worker who proves to be one of the pilot’s best written characters.

THE PUNISHER Netflix

●●●●○

Jon Bernthal’s popularity in the second series of Daredevil led to a spinoff series ordered, written, shot and released in just over one year. While the likes of Daredevil and Iron Fist always see a chance for redemption in their villains, Frank Castle is a jaded, tired killing machine. The short turnaround worried me, but there is plenty of potential here.

The Punisher could benefit from deeper links with the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe - the New York skyline lacks the iconic Avengers Tower and considering the great dynamic Frank Castle has with many of Marvel’s other heroes in the comics (Daredevil, Spider-Man, even Tony Stark) I would love to see what they think of this iteration of The Punisher.

A movie crossover is unlikely to happen however, as Marvel have always kept their mature Netflix shows at arm’s length from the PG-13 films.

Where The Punisher truly excels is in its action. More brutal than much of the MCU, The Punisher’s action sequences are slow, methodical and downright terrifying. Frank wis certainly not afraid to show that he means business. While the show treads much of the same ground as other Marvel-Netflix collaborations, there are enough fresh ideas to keep fans of this street-level world coming back for more.

It would have been easy to make this series a prequel. The Punisher’s backstory pulls Gladiator-level fridging with Castle’s wife and child, but this series skips the origin story and gets straight to Frank as a broken man.

A construction worker trying to fit back into society, Frank - like many of his counterparts in the superhero-supervillain genre - struggles to escape the allure of his life as The Punisher.

But what good is a crime story without cops to crack it? Madani and Stein, a pair who come off as somewhat of a cliché buddy cop duo, are set up as Frank’s adversaries, but unfortunately, their storyline is far less interesting than Frank’s and bears stale resemblance to a similar dynamic in 2016’s Luke Cage. This does not mean that all supporting characters are bland.

WORDS BY SEÁN CLERKIN

GODLESS Netflix

●●●●○ Godless is a seven-part mini-series set in the American west of the1880s. The female-populated town of La Belle is headed toward conflict as notorious outlaw Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang hunt ex-partner, Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell) are hiding out there.

Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), widowed like the other women of La Belle, but an outcast nonetheless, recruits Goode to help on her farm where a bond, based on mutual acceptance and nurturing, develops. Godless navigates prejudices and egos which ultimately have little significance in a society where extinction is a just gunshot away. The star-studded cast of Godless set high expectations to meet and this spectacularly cinematic and yet intimate Western does not disappoint. The series’ genre is always at the forefront in terms of narrative and iconography but this in no way hinders the development of relationships worth investing in.

REVIEWS | 28

Across seven hour-long episodes, we are acquainted with a range of characters who are awarded layers of complexity with back stories sure to satisfy anyone with a taste for a great character-driven series. Colourdrained flashback sequences clarify character behaviour and provide sympathy for even the most deplorable of characters including villain, Frank Griffin, whose handiwork, a wasteland of death and decay that was 28once a town called Creede, is displayed in the first scene.

Godless engages in a subtlety that lures the viewer in, initially making dramatic scenes appear deceptively harmless. It boasts an antagonist whose unexpected appearances genuinely make your heart drop. The soundtrack constantly fails to announce his presence, lulling you into a false sense of security and then major discomfort when he is revealed. Deaths of key characters are unremarkable and this amplifies the shock and sorrow for an unprepared audience. The subtlety also extends to elements of romance in the series, especially the chemistry between Alice and Roy which is executed so minutely and tastefully that the impact of the smallest glances are overwhelming.

Godless is an achievement in shedding new light upon, and adding relevance to, such a classic Hollywood genre.

By valorising lengthy sequences which linger on action without any dialogue, it acts as an excellent reminder of the capabilities of television as a visual medium.

If nothing else, Godless is a great opportunity to explore scenic vistas without actually having to go outside now that the weather has changed.

Whatever you do, resist all temptation to watch this on the tiny screen of your phone which can’t possibly do justice to the incredible attention-todetail and the stark beauty of the landscape.

WORDS BY SÍOMHA MCQUINN

LIT WHY DYLAN MATTERS Richard F. Thomas

●●●○○

in Dylan’s loosely autobiographical memoir, Chronicles: Volume One. He provides a wide range of close readings that convincingly show traces of Catullus and Homer, to name but two, in Dylan’s lyrics, and relates Dylan’s habit of quoting other folk and blues material in his songs to Virgil’s poetic borrowings.

The title Why Dylan Matters, professor Richard F. Thomas’ recent contribution to the ever-expanding field of Dylanology, is perhaps a bit of a misnomer. Thomas is a classicist who teaches a Harvard course on the relationship between Bob Dylan and Greek and Roman poetry. His latest book, released as part of the post-Nobel Prize win-related explosion of Dylan textual paraphernalia, ultimately fails to answer its own question.

Readers who reach its end will probably have enjoyed the ride, but have no clearer grasp on why Dylan is important.

Thomas’ thesis is engaging—that Dylan’s incorporation of intertextual material in his lyrics harks back to age-old poetic traditions. He weaves a compelling narrative that includes the young Robert Zimmerman’s membership of his High School Latin Club, to references of Thucydides

Convincing as it is, Thomas’ arguments reflect an unpleasantly canonic trend in Dylan studies. The academic study of popular music is regularly touted as a nearly anti-establishment field that denies the sanctity of the Western canon (you know—Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and the boys) and affirms the value of studying all music. Dylan scholars have neatly sidestepped this musicological debate by trying to convince us that Dylan belongs in the literary canon. And true as it may be that Dylan writes lyrics of great poetic merit, the construction of canons has long been viewed as a problematic endeavour that privileges certain select voices and maintains dominant ideologies. The assumption that this book makes is that Dylan’s relationship with the classical literary canon automatically makes him important, and that’s an assumption that demands critical examination.

Rather, I would suggest that this book more accurately answers the question, ‘Why do the classics matter?’ or even, ‘Why do literary studies matter?’. Thomas writes as passionately about Ovid’s lyrics as he does Dylan’s, and his thesis convincingly shows how even the oldest of literature still resonates in today’s popular culture.

The book itself is comes in a beautifully presented small hardback edition.

Ideological problems aside, it’s an enjoyable and engaging read—coming this close to Christmas, it would make the perfect gift for both the Dylan and Homer fans in your life.

WORDS BY AINE PALMER

THE VANISHING SEASON Joanna Schaffhausen

●●●○○

As a crime novel, this is certainly an intriguing read and has no lack of lure. No one can dispute the popularity of the genre or the fact that, as a society, we are obsessed with the suspense of murder.

However, the novel does fall into the many pitfalls of its genre. Ellery’s worry about another character’s safety ultimately leads to an officer bursting through

the door to tell her of that very character’s disappearance, which made the plot a bit stale. A lot of the other officers’ actions make little sense, which in turn portray Ellery as a shaky heroic figure. Additionally, a lot of characters are two-dimensional, as they are merely plot devices.

However, this novel still has the suspenseful aspect which is distinct to its genre and creates its charm.

The novel adds a unique twist that makes it stand out. It explores our apparent obsession with murder and death, and the popular rise in crime fiction may go to show this.

As “the one who lived”, Ellery is faced with the brunt of her community’s fascination with true crime. Yet Reed is the one to truly gain from her experience through his bestselling novel, but he never stops to think if Ellery is “truly saved”. This reminds us that for all the heinous true stories we have heard, they aren’t just stories but are people’s lives. Once the articles detailing their attack in the newspaper dwindle, the survivors’ lives continue. This novel explores the very reason why many readers will pick up the book, which makes one question why we are so fascinated by the suffering of others.

WORDS BY NIAMH KEATING

| REVIEWS

The Vanishing Season is Joanna Schaffhausen’s debut novel, published December 5th, by HarperCollins.

The novel recounts the story of Ellery Hathaway, a police officer in a sleepy town that is jolted to life.

For the past three years, peculiarly on the same day, someone from the town disappears. This day is not only Ellery’s birthday, but the day that she too disappears, and she is forced to confront the life she thought she had escaped from. Ellery goes to the officer, Reed Markham, who saved her from the notorious serial killer many years ago, for help.

Ellery must finally face the trauma she has ignored since the attack, but also act partisan in a case which is utterly familiar.

29

games STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

●●●○○

Star Wars Battlefront II marks the second console entry in EA’s (Electronic Arts) tenure with the Star Wars Games licence. It excels in some aspects but is let down by a frustrating online grind The story mode is a welcome addition following its absence in 2015’s Battlefront. Not only is the campaign official canon, but it also takes an interesting perspective on the Star Wars universe, following an elite imperial soldier (Iden Versio) in the events following Return of the Jedi. Filling in the 30 year gap between episodes VI and VII, Iden visits familiar locations and characters, as well as some new original planets. Overall, this campaign is the exhilarating and emotional Star Wars story fans have been waiting for in a game, and is only let down by occasional repetitive gameplay. Missions will often revolve around the same ‘escort’ mechanics that make the otherwise enjoyable story a slog.

The multiplayer feature is undoubtedly the main draw of Battlefront II, having taken centre stage

in 2015’s iteration. Fortunately, there is far more variety in location this time around. 2015’s Battlefront launched with just four large online maps, but Battlefront II features more than double that. The expansion of content made this mode feel more diverse than its predecessor.

Hero powerups have also been overhauled.

Battlefront II ditches the pseudo-random rewards from 2015’s iteration, instead opting for more fair, skill-based system.

The online mode’s only real flaw appears in its progression mechanics. 2015’s Battlefront featured a straightforward levelling system, but this iteration is mired in endless counters and frustratingly randomised upgrades. The only way to upgrade gear is to spend credits on ‘crates’. At launch, these crates were purchasable with real world money, sparking tremendous backlash among players. At the time of writing, this ability has been turned off indefinitely. In addition, iconic heroes like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader (available from the beginning in

DOOM ●●●●●

REVIEWS | 30 30

Doom on the Switch is every bit as fun as its versions on PS4, Xbox One and PC. The gameplay is hectic, visceral and incredibly satisfying. Where many first person shooters often encourage cautious gameplay, Doom rewards you for moving fast and playing aggressively. This is embodied in the Glory Kills mechanic whereby you regain some of your health for performing over the top, gruesome melee kills on enemies. This works well in the flow of combat as it allows you to keep the pressure on and to never stop moving.

Offline modes are remarkably, a centrepiece of Battlefront II. Players can choose to fight alone in arcade mode, or to battle against friends in split screen. Playing offline with friends is a rare and welcome treat in 2017, even if some graphical quality is sacrificed to do so. All of these modes offer some replay value, rewarding the player with credits for use online.

Star Wars Battlefront II is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. With a reasonably compelling story, solid local multiplayer and good replay value. However, its baffling changes to the online mode prevent it from being a truly great sequel.

WORDS BY SEÅN CLERKIN

Doom on Switch is an incredible technical accomplishment and one of the best games on Nintendo’s fledgling system.

Nintendo Switch Doom was one of my favourite games of 2015 and the Switch is my favourite console of this generation, so naturally this was a highly anticipated port for me. 2015’s Doom reboot brought new life into the franchise as an intense, first person shooter where you play as an unnamed space marine combating the forces of hell.

2015’s Battlefront) are locked behind an asinine level of player investment. The end result is that Battlefront’s once rewarding progression system has become a tedious grind.

From a presentation standpoint, Doom is a technical marvel on Switch. The fact that such an incredibly beautiful game runs at 720p and 30FPS on a portable console is amazing.

That said, I did encounter some heavy dips in framerate in one or two of the more chaotic battles, but it was a rare occurrence and never really hurt the experience. The sound is amazing too, with guttural weapon noises, the screams of the demons and a heavy metal soundtrack meshing with the intense action wonderfully.

All in all, Doom is a great port of a great game.

Its frantic gunplay is great on the go and runs remarkably well on Switch, with tons of new content worth checking out even for Doom veterans.

For those who have already played Doom, there is still an incentive to pick it up again. The online multiplayer, which was frankly lacking on release, is much improved. On top of that, there is a new arcade mode where you do speed runs of the levels and get score multipliers for avoiding damage or chaining kills together. This mode makes the whole campaign feel fresh again and works nicely with Doom’s frenetic gameplay.

WORDS BY ANDREW BACON

CHESTNUT BROWNIES

Despite their spikes, chestnuts are deliciously sweet inside. These seasonal treats are currently in peak season and are extremely versatile; they can be used in savoury and sweet dishes.

Chestnuts can unfortunately not be consumed raw as certain varieties contain high levels of tannin and may leave you feeling ill afterwards.

However, most supermarkets will sell canned or vacuum packed chestnuts which are cooked and can be used straight away. If you’re feeling really lazy, grab some sweetened chestnut purée, which you can simply whip into any dessert.

If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try cooking them yourself? My favourite method is roasting as it preserves the flavour of the chestnut, but boiling, microwaving and using an open fire are equally good techniques.

Roasted

- Preheat oven to 180C. - Place chestnuts on a baking tray and cut a slit through the skin on the rounded side.

- Bake for half an hour and leave to cool; peel the chestnuts whilst still warm.

Boiled - Cut a slit through skin on rounded side.

- Boil for 10 minutes, drain and allow to cool slightly before peeling.

Microwave - Cut the chestnuts in half and cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until the flesh is golden brown.

- Allow to cool slightly before peeling.

Open fire -Cut a slit through skin on rounded side.

-Cook for 10 minutes in a pan over the fire, turning halfway through.

-Allow to cool slightly before peeling.

Chestnut and Mushroom Pasta

I know, it’s easy to just open a jar of tomato sauce and pour it over your pasta. But this dish is well worth a try; it’s easy, delicious and you’ll be sure to impress everyone with your cooking skills!

Ingredients (2 people) - A few nests of tagliatelle - 150 g chopped chestnut mushrooms - 50 g chopped chestnuts, prepared any way - Olive oil - Clove of garlic - 1 onion - 150ml cream

A BETTER SHOP

Moldova Shop, 133 Lower Rathmines Road Supermarkets are depressing. The big ones I mean; repetitive isles of uninteresting products, hopelessly packaged in arctic jackets of polythene; lurid packets of cheap sweets; vegetables bland and uniform, too perfectly coloured; pre-prepared packets of dinner death; special offers that trap you, willing you to buy more; cold lack of air, lack of light; queues of tired faces; cashiers asleep and robotic; rushing and shoving your bag packed under a ticking clock. You leave uninspired, hating your bodily need to eat. This is wrong!

Food is pleasure, and a trip to buy it should remind you of that. A shop should be as lovely as picking a bedroom colour.

Method - Sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil until golden brown.

- Add the mushrooms and chestnuts and cook for 10 minutes.

- Add the cream and allow to simmer until thickened.

- Cook the tagliatelle until ‘al dente’ and add to the sauce.

- Season according to taste.

Chestnut Brownies

Brownies are a yummy comforting treat at this time of the year, and are even better spiced up with some chestnut. As chestnuts are gluten free, you could replace the flour with chestnut flour however this is quite expensive so I’ve used chestnut puree instead.

Ingredients (8 brownies) - 100 g chestnut puree - 90 g butter - 1 egg - 50 g flour - 80 g sugar - 120 g dark chocolate - ½ tsp baking powder - Handful chopped roasted chestnuts - Pinch of salt Method - Preheat oven to 180C. - Melt butter and chocolate together.

- Add chestnut puree and sugar.

- Beat in eggs.

- Fold in sifted flour and chopped chestnuts.

- Bake for 10-15 mins.

- Leave to cool and enjoy!

Chestnuts are like the unsung heroes of winter cooking- though seldom used in Irish cuisine, they are packed with benefits; seasonal, local, easy to cook and most importantly -delicious in any dish, be it sweet or savoury.

WORDS BY AMANDA CLIFFE ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH MEEHAN

But we ‘supermarket’ because we believe they are cheap and convenient.

But this is an ingrained idea, needing challenge.

There are alternatives. No more expensive, and far kinder to the soul.

Banish Lidl, Aldi, and Tesco from your ‘go-to’ retrivance. Look out for Polish food-stores, Halal shops, Chinese stores and Co-ops. Their stock is novel to newcomers. Selection is expansive, opening hours generous, and ownership more local than foreign giants.

In particular, Moldova, in Rathmines (and also a branch in Dublin 7) has most of your basic needs, loose and seasonal fruit and veg, a good selection of rye breads, manifold pickles, fantastic pasta, a butcher counter offering cheap and interesting cuts like beef shin and brisket, chicken hearts and livers. Wine is good too.

WORDS AND ILLUSTRATION BY HOLLY MOORE

| REVIEWS

food

Recipe

31

3

fashion

VICTORIA’S SECRET 2017

A host of new faces, including Estelle Chen and Xin Xie, took to the winged runway among staple favourites such as Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Karlie Kloss. Candice Swanepoel opened the show with the ‘Punk Angels’ category in a red tartan and black fishnet combination designed by Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing. The look was completed ba studded leather belt and a matching pair of red and black wings. The show was divided into six themed

Shanghai Nov 20th

sections as the ‘Punk Angels’ were followed by ‘Goddesses’, the all-pink ‘Millennial Nation’, ‘Winter’s Tale’, ‘Porcelain Angels’ who echoed the blue-and-white schemes of Ming dynasty vases, and a celebration of multiculturalism with the ‘Nomadic Angels’. Lais Ribeiro was honoured with wearing this year’s Fantasy Bra. A Mouawad design costing two million dollars, the Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra is handset with blue topaz, yellow sapphires, and diamonds in 18-karat gold.

However, as well as highly anticipated, the show is also one of the most controversial.

With arguably their most culturally diverse line-up yet, Victoria’s Secret attempts to speak

for female empowerment but still misses the mark by a large margin. Despite their biggerand-better attitude across the show’s twentytwo year timeline, the same mentality doesn’t apply to the casting of their models. Each year the brand conforms to a single slim and slender body type, categorizing girls into an extremely narrow beauty ideal. Advertising to the average women with a completely un-average body type sets a degradingly difficult standard for women to attain. The modern market is calling for the catwalk to be more body positive and inclusive but, instead of celebrating the diverse beauty of women, Victoria’s Secret is rooted in an outdated vision of the past.

WORDS BY CAROLINE O CONNOR

The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, one of the most highly anticipated shows of the year, took place in Shanghai for the first time on November 20. The fashion giant seeks to tap into the country’s rapidly growing market for highend lingerie as sales volumes have doubled in the past five years. Despite a rocky lead-up, with visa issues causing many celebrities and guests including Gigi Hadid and Katy Perry to cancel their attendance last minute, the show was their most extravagant yet. Four musical guests, including Harry Styles, serenaded the MercedesBenz Arena as fifty-five angels strutted the catwalk. Always trying to out-do themselves, the brand also debuted a high-profile Balmain collaboration on the night, which will launch instore from December 6.

PROJECT RUNWAY SEASON 16 FINALE

Season sixteen of Project Runway celebrated models of all sizes, and this fresh inclusivity inspired creative excellence among the sixteen chosen designers. The finale saw the remaining four competitors, Margarita Alvarez, Brandon Kee, Ayana Ife and Kentaro Kameyama showcase their ten piece collections at New York Fashion Week.

Alvarez showcased her collection ‘Fish Out of Water’, overwhelming the judges and audience with vibrancy, passion and prints. Her Puerto Rican heritage is celebrated throughout her detailing, with the colourful city landscape and emphasis on movement prioritised. Creating a memorable moment for her collection, Alvarez’s model Jazzmine Carthon tore away her sarong to reveal a sexy swimsuit, complementing her figure to an applauding audience.

REVIEWS | 32

●●●●●

Season sixteen of Project Runway also saw an acceptance of religious freedom in fashion, as modest designer Ayana Ife continually showed the judges and the viewers, that women can feel comfortable in their own skin without having to show it. Her collection showcased many facets of her design ability, by implementing casual wear, sportswear and even a stunning gown, embroidered with pale green lace, to close the collection.

Kentaro Kameyama truly mesmerised the audience when his self-composed soundtrack began to play on the runway. Inspiration taken from his Japanese heritage created daring silhouettes, and the selective addition of colour mimicked the plucking of cords of the music.

Kameyama’s dedication to the representation of material was shown beautiful in the final look, which showcased a white dress cased in crumpled tulle, which was certainly breathtaking.

The finale came to a climax when Kentaro Kameyama was announced the winner of season sixteen of Project Runway, with Ayana Ife finishing as runner-up. This season’s Project Runway was arguably the best in recent years, as the four designers were not only daring and innovative, but expressed a clear appreciation for their heritage, which allowed them to transcend the time constrictions placed on fashion.

WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER CASH

Season front runner Brandon Kee’s collection then took the runway by storm, invoking youthful innovation with streamlined fabric and challenging silhouettes. Titled ‘Layers of Love’, Kee fully embraced the femininity of a young woman, while still adhering to his masculine style. A soft, neutral palette of warm creams, beiges and oranges complimented the ‘bandage’ detailing common to his work.

Lifetime

B I - B I BABY So, let’s talk about bisexuality - in a real way, without some glib quotation by a gross-ass filmmaker that was tired by the time I came out back in ‘02. irstly, waaay back in 1948, Dr. Alfred Kinsey (Irish interest sidenote: check out the movie Kinsey with Liam Neeson) published the first of the Kinsey Reports, ‘Sexual Behavior in the Human Male’. In it, we see the first iteration of the Kinsey Scale, which is our first documented account of sexuality as a spectrum. The Kinsey Scale ranges from 0 (exclusively heterosexual in behavior and desire) to 6 (exclusively homosexual in behavior and desire), with most people falling somewhere on the spectrum.

WORDS BY MAIA MATHIEU ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE MURNANE

With a basic understanding of the Normal Distribution, we can assume that true zeros or sixes would be rare enough. Although, as always, where stats can be used for evil, they are. There’s this myth - all women are, on some level, bisexual, and that men aren’t ever bi, they’re just deluding themselves on the way to coming out as “properly” gay. Aside from the erasure of nonbinary and trans people in this gross narrative, which clearly connects to straight cis-male biases, it is a total myth that has been contradicted by studies that have confirmed the existence of bisexual arousal patterns in both men and women. Kinsey’s work was later added to by Michael Storms in the 1980s, who added a Y-axis to the spectrum to account for asexuality, and Klein in the 1970s, who wanted to ensure that scientific sexology also accounted for the fluidity of sexual desire and expression over people’s lifetimes.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about bisexuality and bisexuals, and I’d like to set some of those records straight:

1.

No, bisexuality is not always concurrent with polyamory.

Sometimes, sure, but bisexuals are as capable of putting in the work and commitment to make a long term, monogamous relationship work as is anyone else.

Similarly, bisexuals are not more promiscuous than monosexual people, and this is a myth that can lead to a great deal of sexual violence against bi people. A 2010 study by the Centers for Dis-

ease Control and Prevention found that 61.1% of bisexual women had experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared with 35% of straight women and 43.8% of lesbians.

Cast your mind back to the ugliness of the responses to the abuse actress Amber Heard suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, and you’ll see a vivid example of this.

2.

The ‘bi’ in bi- sexual doesn’t automatically infer a gender binary. The ‘bi’, as in two, refers linguistically to the idea of having both hetero- and homosexual attractions, and is generally used to refer to attractions independent of the gender of the person you’re into. Pansexual (‘pan’ as in ‘all’) can mean the same thing, and I’ve seen the terms used interchangeably.

3.

Bisexual people are not straight when they’re in a straight relationship and gay when they’re in a gay one. We’re queer, no matter what. It’s like werewolves.

WEREWOLF: I’m a werewolf PERSON: Ok but when you’re in human form you’re a human, and when you’re in wolf form you’re a wolf though.

WEREWOLF: No. I’m a werewolf.

Human form = werewolf. Wolf form = werewolf. Always a werewolf. No matter the circumstance or appearance, I AM ALWAYS A WEREWOLF. Fact: bisexuals are also werewolves.

4.

There’s no such thing as ‘straight passing privilege’. It’s called invisibility and it’s alienating af.

It’s choosing between letting people deal with their assumptions (and being potentially closeted by their assumptions) or coming out all the time, over and over. Privilege, my ass.

Due in part to the stressors of dealing with these myths, bi-phobia, and bi-erasure, bisexual people are known to be more likely to struggle with mental health issues than heterosexual or homosexual people. How often have you heard why can’t you just make up your mind, rather than trying to have your cake and eat it too? It’s frustrating and gross.

If you are bi, bi-curious, or just straightup curious (ha!), you can look up more information, mythbusting, and community at https://bisexual.org/ Trinity’s LGBTQ society.

QSoc also has resources, and the LGBT-RO this year, Noah O’Brien is an absolute dote.

And, as Callie Torres, the gorgeous bisexual Latina from Grey’s Anatomy once pointed out, the B kind-of does stand for badass - never forget it! ■

|SEX

F

33

SEX

“Paint the sheets red!” he screamed as I climbed into bed.

I have a theory that things are considered “taboo” because there is a widespread culture of pretending you haven’t spent a few hours googling it. I act like I don’t partake in period sex because my friend turns her nose up at it. What if my pretending makes her assume I too think it’s weird and it’s just one big cycle of nodding our heads at the idea that t what makes us women is unfuckable?

Great day for feminism, ladies.

S

poiler Alert: the title does, in fact, refer to period sex. Like it or leave it, that’s the sex-ed you’re getting in this issue of Tn2 Magazine.

I hate blood, to the point where it’s almost cruel that I have to deal with it every month. I am rarely horny on my period, and the last thing I ever thought I would want to do is have sex with someone while on it. However, after my experience with period sex, there is something rather intimate about it. In particular, letting someone into the most personal aspect of your body and having them not only accept it, but love it. This was something I was not used to, and perhaps that is why girls feel exposed on their period. They don’t want to be touched or loved during this time because they’ve endured a lifetime of menstruation stigma and tampon taxes. Once you let go of that fear, once you embrace who you are as a person and as a woman, you open a door with your partner, a mecca of mutual respect and understanding. At the end of the day, isn’t that what sex is actually about?

SEX | 34

WORDS BY AVELINE DAI

Here are some tips that I am going to share with you. Put a towel down.

Have your undies or a tampon nearby. Take caution when using lube as it can make the blood a bit more runny. Don’t laugh when he says “you’re so wet” because he has forgotten about the situation. Be vigilant. If you’re changing positions or taking it out, have some tissues beside you and do it slowly.

ILLUSTRATION BY HOLLY BROWN

When I first started dating my boyfriend, I declined some dinner-anddrinks dates because of my period. When eventually the “I’m too tired” excuse became suspicious at 2pm, I had to tell him the reason why I wouldn’t bang him for five days a month. So, I said I didn’t want to come (no pun intended) because my body was in the midst of a civil war and girls are off limits during that time of the month, right? He texted back, “I’ll see you in an hour.”

The point is, do not be ashamed of your reproductive system, because, guess what, that’s how life does or (hopefully at this stage) does not begin. It’s really a beautiful thing. As is the sex you have when you realise you are, in fact, not carrying a foetus for another month. If that doesn’t turn you on, I’m not sure what will. Also, I am almost certain that as long as your partner is sticking something inside you and it’s a nice, warm, wet hole for them, they will take it. But, in the spirit of consent, make sure you tell them first.

At the end of the day, sex is one of the most animalistic things humans do for pleasure. I mean, there is literally a part of my vulva there for nothing else but pleasure. Orgasms are transcending, like you are lifted into another realm and it’s just you and him. So, that’s what you focus on, the glory of the orgasm, not the teaspoon of blood trickling out of you. Loosen up, talk it out, and try it. And, like always, enjoy it. (If you’re still paranoid about it, you can always do it in the shower … and don’t forget that the shower head has more than one use!).

You should love your body for everything it is. The good, the bad, and the blood. It is 2017, our ancestors didn’t fight for us to have the right to vote, access to contraception, and equal educational opportunities, only for us to be ashamed of our bodies. Or not have sex for five days a month.

My vote is tell him you’re on the blob and see what happens. Period sex is completely natural, organic even. It’s time we started loving our bodies for what they are. ■

35

36