Letter from the Editor

Resurrection Issue

Dear Reader,

In architecture, a squinch supports the immense weight of a dome, providing the structural stability needed to showcase its magnanimous presence. Since beginning our revival in February, I have come to fully understand and appreciate the answer to the question: “why Squinch?” To provide the structural stability to showcase powerful undergraduate art. 

I started the Squinch revival for two reasons. First and foremost, to share my passion in a productive and meaningful way; second, to find a solution for the lack of a vehicle for undergraduates passionate about art to share their work and form a community. No organization in the Boston area gave a voice to students passionate about art that allowed for personal expression nor provided a space for them to engage in discussion and collaboration. In a brisk leap of faith, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Thank God for that!

I was very concerned about maintaining the powerful legacy Squinch left behind in August 2020, when COVID forced it to disband. Boston University lost its artistic platform and, with it, its art community. When I arrived at college, I didn’t know where to find students who shared my love of art. Only when I started to search for members did I meet people sharing the same need for an artistic community and platform. 

Now, as I write only one week before our launch, I receive texts from writers, artists, and even Boston University professors. Squinch has more than 20 passionate members and is growing! Every member working on our publication has incredible enthusiasm, shaping the magazine with their ideas and excitement.

The first in a three-part thematic series, Resurrection, refers to the state of the publication and the undergraduate art community. The word holds a divine element, alluding to our comeuppance as holding more weight than just a revival. Brought back to life as a ‘revival’ does not give the publication or its members the credit they deserve. We, Squinch, have resurrected. We have come back to life quickly, powerfully, and with great force. This issue brings forth the artists and writers who can now share their artistic experiences.

We are excited to present you with a diverse collection of creative works with a common theme of resurrection. Romy Binstein’s artwork, Serenity, graces the cover. The work welcomes you into Squinch’s Resurrection by encapsulating a feeling of resurrection in body and soul, allowing an escape from your daily responsibilities. Francesca Ross’ Toxic Contamination, a photograph dipped in bleach, presents her expression of emotional release and passion for environmental science. Her creative medium alludes to the need for unconventional thinking to resurrect our planet's state. 

The diversity in creative mediums exemplifies the growth in innovative approaches in the contemporary art world. Although different in presentation, each shares the same common trope. No matter how dire a circumstance becomes, there will always be an opportunity to start again through growth and change–to revive beauty in the past and make it our own. This can be seen in Binstein’s A Still Summer and Deniz Bora’s photographs Cracks in Apollo and Solemn; Hector Rivera’s Mother and daughter and Henry Backus’ Cup Frog explore the regaining of agency taken away. 

Emma Shearburn’s article on the MOMA, New York will prove to be a go-to guide for visiting the museum. Deniz Bora’s spotlight on the Turkish artist Burhan Doğançay and Hilary Hagen’s interview with artist Samantha Nye each explore different forms of resurrection. 

Our goal is to share individuality in expression and harmony through the works in this issue. We are making a statement. No matter the obstacles and difficulties in sharing our voice, our whisper will become a roar with time and persistance.

Happy reading!

Lauren Glogoff

Squinch Magazine Editor-in-Chief, 2022