Art school is all about pretense. You may fool yourself thinking otherwise, but let’s face it — it is. The editors at F Newsmagazine are keenly focused on our audience, which we identify as low-budget artists and scholars that somehow hang on to their over sized egos. With the end of October quickly approaching, we know you’ll be looking for that perfect Halloween costume — artsy, fartsy, and above all, cheap. Don’t bother with those other low-budget costume options. (Who ever commanded respect by dressing up as a witch/cat/nerd?)
Stick with these ideas and let your art school pretension flow free in the October wind.
René Magritte
“Son of Man”
by Brandon Goei, Music Editor.
If the bourgeois isn’t your thing, but you still want a taste of René Magritte’s surreal wit, then this is the costume for you. At virtually no cost, you can channel the strange spectre of “Son of Man” using items from around the office. F’s version consists of black poster board, white paper, two shades of green marker, and tape – lots of tape. Make sure to cut eye holes in the apple before departing for seasonal parties. The effect you’re going for is metaphoric and/or sociopolitical (not literal) blindness. For bonus irony points, go bobbing for apples.
Pablo Picasso
“Ma Jolie”
by Sarah Hamilton, Arts Editor.
Possibly the most scandalous of our costume options, F’s version of Picasso’s seminal cubist work “Ma Jolie” demands that you pilfer more paint chips from your Home Depot than is normally allowed by the somewhat menacing, orange-vested attendants. The original is a work of multi-dimensional, synesthetic mastery (a line you can drop at any party, even if you don’t know what it means) and commands the attention of the viewer, even from across the room. Our adaptation does one of those two things — try to guess which one.
Mark Rothko
“Untitled”
by Alejandra Monserrat Gonzalez Romo, News Editor.
As soon as you put on these three innocent pieces of colored foam, you’ll feel pretentious despite your goofy and un-sexy looks. Mark Rothko would probably not be proud of his artwork’s Halloween presence, but you will surely attract the eyes (and laughs) of any party guest, all for under $1 of store-bought material. The question that remains is what appropriate facial expression best represents a Rothko? Its up to you to decide and make a dramatic entrance at your next Halloween bash. For now, I’m going with a happy face.
