Iris29

Letter from the Editor

As I watch the last of the autumn leaves fall from my bedroom window, I envision the onset of winter and the white mist that will soon blanket the city in peaceful slumber. For me, winter is a time of slowing down and rejuvenating; a time of questioning and introspection. Nature has its cycle of life through the seasons, so what is our identity in all of this? How do we even describe ourselves? Do we have a place in nature? Or are we merely passive observers of the heavenly, subservient to astrologers claim that they alone control our destiny.

From the perspective of Iris29, we see an emergence of ideas being recycled in our culture: through movies, fashion, and even music. What does it mean when we see someone dressed a certain way? Are there assumptions to be drawn about their personality? A person creating an online persona via the Internet can showcase an identity not normally seen in the tangible world. Which is more real? The colors we use in our designs, do they have a relation to the emotions we portray or is there a definitive best/worst given the environment or scenario? Many of us, as well, are guilty of defining ourselves by numbers, whether it is how many inches we stand, or how many pounds we rest on the scale. Why is this?

Here at Iris29, we have curtailed a myriad of ideas to answer these questions. What do animal behaviors, numbers, movies, fashions, and colors all have in common? Simple, they all tell us a little bit about our culture and how we interact amongst ourselves. To the keen eye these external features can mean a great deal in understanding our past and even preparing for our future. Maybe these features are the Mandela of modern human culture and our vessel in which we may share our identity.