THE B-SIDE

Illustration of the words "The Tie Dye B Side" against a tie dye background

We all consume art. Art is found in the movie you watched last week that conveyed a message so thought-provoking it left you thinking for days. It’s found between the worn-out pages and faded ink of a book handed down to you by a loved one that just might become your next favorite novel. It’s found in the dusty corners of our closets, in the nostalgic air of our childhood homes, in our moldy-yet-somehow-cozy college dorm rooms. We are perpetually surrounded by art and lots of different kinds of art at that. And because of this, we have all slowly but surely become a mix of all the different art that speaks to us. We are all, individually, a unique tie-dye of art.

My inspiration for the Tie-Dye B-Side stemmed from my belief that, no matter how oddly they might mix, I am a combination of my favorite romance novel, my dad’s favorite ’80s movie, the most vibrant dress in my mom’s closet, my sister’s endless reggaeton playlist, my best friend’s unbelievable creative skill, my grandma’s near-perfect cooking and so many more pieces of art that have shaped who I am today. Like tie-dye, these pieces of art bleed a little bit into each other but don’t opaque each other entirely. Together, they are a blob of inspiration and creativity that shines so bright in my mind I can’t help but always be thinking about it. This soul-consuming idea begged the question, “What pieces of art make up the tie-dye in your mind?” Thankfully, eight graceful writers filled in the blanks, coloring this question in and trusting me with the tie-dye of art that makes them who they are. How I got this lucky, I’ll never know.

Senior Arts Editor Graciela Batlle Cestero can be reached at gbatllec@umich.edu.

An illustration of several people holding a tie-dyed quilt. They are each holding a needle with different colored thread as they add to the quilt.
The art I love comes from the people I love
Gaby Cummings Digital art illustration of a pile of clothes on the floor in front of a laundry basket. The colors of the clothes form a tie-dye pattern.
Life in a pile of laundry
Aurora Sousanis An illustrated scene of a girl with a tie-dye thought bubble with a variety of emotions inside.
My love-hate relationship with the colorful emotions inside my head
Rebecca Smith An illustrated scene of a girl writing at a desk with a tie dye thought bubble (with two lightbulbs inside).
The perfect joys and irritations of a swirling “writer brain”
Pauline Kim Illustration of a girl in a tie dye shirt looking at Kristen Wiig.
Funny women and what they mean to me
Constance Meade An illustration of a wall painted in tie-dye with three posters on it. One poster has Derek Jeter on it, one poster has the Sopranos on it, one poster has Yung Lean on it
My posters as an extension of my identity
Rose Iorio An illustration of a person in a Tie-Dyed shirt lounging on the grass in the sun with their eyes closed.
Tie-dye didn’t die with the Grateful Dead
Joshua Medintz An illustrated scene of tap shoes with one of the surrounded by a tie-dye puddle.
God, I’m a tap dancer
Max Newman