Presenting artwork by Art and Photography Editors, Margaret Lu and William Higgins.
MARGARET LU
Artist Statement: “My art seeks to make the world soften around the edges- to become a liquid mirror onto which lights and colors bleed. The world becomes softly blurred, melting me right into it. It’s those sweet-sharp tidbits, the overlooked mirage of moments past. That is what exhilarates me the most: being enthralled by new ideas, being intoxicated by the romance of the unknown.”
“Lackadaisical Euphoria”
“Amazon Blues”
“Eclectic Ennui”
“Whimsical Bliss”
“Our Daily Bread”
William Higgins
Artist Statement: “Three of these photos were taken in Los Angeles. The other two were taken in New York.
I’m mainly influenced by pop art and nature photography. These two blend better in LA than they do in New York. Comic book colors are everywhere all the time. The Southwestern U.S. sky is one of the sharpest blues there is. And then the city has this uneasy relationship with nature. It’s shocking to see skyscrapers against blurred mountains everyday. Suburbs bump up against parks and forests, both state and national. A combination of pop and nature fits the city.
I also feel like focusing on smaller details in LA. The city doesn’t seem to fit together with itself the same way New York does. There’s a depth and unity in Manhattan’s cityscape that grounds it as an actual city. Shots have to be layered, you can’t dissect it piece by piece. LA doesn’thave a similar vista — except maybe the Hollywood sign — that unites the city the same way Manhattan does. Put in a bad analogy: New York is like an oil portrait, LA is like a comic, paneled.”
MARGARET LU is a rising junior at Waubonsie Valley High. Her art and writing have been recognized with gold, silver, and honorable mentions in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. In addition, she is a YoungArts finalist in creative non-fiction, has been recognized in the New York Times as a finalist for editorial cartooning, and writes for the Chicago Tribune’s teen division, The Mash. When not writing or painting, Maggie can be found obsessing over Studio Ghibli films, attempting to sing Spanish songs, or stargazing.
WILLIAM HIGGINS is a writer and photographer. His work has been published by several magazines, including Glass Kite Anthology and Textploit. He previously attended the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, studying creative writing and literature. In the fall he will start at University College Dublin to study law and philosophy.
Inklette Magazine 