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The B-Side

Digital art illustration of envelope sealed with a heart with “The Intimacies B-Side” written on it.
Evelyn Mousigian

Art has an ability to crack the surface and shove itself deep into every crevice of humanity. Once inside of us, art warps our foundations to add new meanings to the lives we live, whether it be through pumping our hearts, pressing on our bruises or melting all of the soft, pink parts that make us human. Art can be an indulgence that outshines reality, but it is more powerful as a mirror — reflecting the most vulnerable, packed-away portions of our insides. This means that a connection to art requires a connection to self, and neither can be severed from its counterpart. So, while a work of art is an open wound, our connection to it is what keeps digging deeper and deeper into the skin until something strikes blood. For this reason, the consumption of art is the most intimate act of all. The Intimacies B-side is all about how art has shaped us and cut through us, and the tenderness we feel toward art. And while art may be the common diamond among our words, each work of art is surrounded by its own unique mix of vulnerability that only the observer can add to the masterpiece. Spanning from exploring how books bridge the gaps that love letters can’t to how art can become a makeshift home, this B-side has cocooned a cohort of writers who have split themselves open and let their own soft, pink parts fall right onto the page. This is a bit of a diary, this is a bit of an art critique and this is wholly what makes art worthwhile.

Senior Arts Editor Ava Burzycki
A valentines card picturing a scene from the movie Love, Rosie lying on a lace tablecloth. The two actors are looking at each other lovingly.

With love, from ‘Love, Rosie’

Graciela Batlle Cestero
A book lying open with a lipstick stain and love letter on it. The book lies on top of another valentines card.

On books as love letters and letting yourself be known

Emilia Ferrante
The silhouettes of Puck from a "Midsummer Night’s Dream," Deku from "My Hero Academia," and Alexander Hamilton from "Hamilton." They are holding a string of hearts.

Literally me: the cringe characters that knew me before I knew myself

Saarthak Johri
Illustration of a stack of books consisting on A Room Called Earth, Miracle Creek, and an album of When the Pawn... along with a heart-shaped valentine.

On art and self discovery: a love letter

Annabel Curran
An illustration of 3 valentines laid out on a wooden table. The valentines each have a colored pencil drawing of a different movie poster for each film in Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy.

What Richard Linklater’s ‘Before’ trilogy taught me about emotional intimacy

Ava Seaman
Digital art illustration of a crumpled up bloody valentine that says “Be Mine” on it.

A love letter to a zombie

Sarah Rahman
An illustration of a smiling Joe Pera in a realistic style. He is wearing a red sweater with a large frilly heart on it. There are pink and red hearts in the background.

Joe Pera talks with me

Hunter Bishop
Illustration of a heart-shaped paint pallette and partially completed painting of a couple looking at one another.

‘Before Sunrise’ uses space to build intimacy

Mitchel Green
An illustration of a Valentines Day themed cork board. There is a large Lacey valentine on the left with the album cover for Hours Are the Birds by Adrianne Lenker on it. There are other assorted valentines pinned up.

Learning change through ‘Hours Were the Birds’

Claire Sudol
Digital art illustration of lacey valentine with a sketch of Jess from New Girl.

The intimacy of comfort characters

CC Meade