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  • Suzan, why did you get a neuroscience degree? WHY?

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    25 September 2020
    As someone who runs a design studio, it is not uncommon to hold a design degree. However, I do have a neuroscience degree as well, and when people find this out, they always ask, “why?”

    The answer is simple: I planned to be a psychiatrist. 

    So what happened? It was a really tough decision that weighed on me a lot, but finally I decided to apply to art school instead of med school. Then at least I'd never wonder "what if..." And if I really wasn't happy, I could always go back and apply to med school later.

    I never looked back. And I learned an approach to tough decisions: go for it and if it doesn’t work out, you can usually go back to where you were before. It was this thinking that helped make moving to NYC, Montreal, San Francisco and finally London, for work after graduation, a bit easier. 

    I often give this advice to students, who may answer: is it not a big waste of time and money? It seems that so many want to know exactly where they are going, and then simply get there in a nice, efficient straight line. I'm not sure this is always possible, or even desirable. It is however, understandable. Uni is so costly these days. A tuition freeze and some scholarships meant my student debt was manageable, so I was lucky—the cost was well worth it.

    If for whatever reason, your path leads in many directions, in this new world of disruption and convergence, it does not mean a big waste of time or money. A diverse background always feeds into what you do later on. In my case, my design studio MOTHandRUST works with a lot of science clients, which means my background is an advantage. I lead science-related projects that I am genuinely interested and passionate about. It makes it easier for me to convey scientific ideas and findings in compelling ways. I can quickly understand and grasp the needs and vision of my science clients. I understand a range of audiences both inside and out of the organisation. Finally, I see the similarities between the Art and Science, not just the differences.
    Posted in: science MandR news design art
    -Tags:
  • THE MEANING behind this odd painting

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    17 April 2020

    Hello the MLE,

    Like me, have you ever wondered the meaning of that French painting Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters (ca. 1594)? 

    The woman with the light hair is Gabrielle d’Estrées, mistress of King Henry IV of France, and the other with her dark hair is her sister, the Duchess de Villars. They turn half towards the viewer as they sit in a bathtub lined with silk. The hand of the woman on the left pinches the nipple of the woman on the right, her index finger and thumb forming a perfect “C.” 

    What is going on here?  Well, there are three interpretations…

    1) A sexualized queer and incestuous scene
    - In France during the 16-century, lesbian relationships were not completely unknown.
    - We can assume the presence of female viewers as well as male, queer as well as straight.
    - Throughout history the painting has been received as though it depicts a lesbian relationship (eg, the 19th century, for instance, a Louvre museum official reportedly covered up the “lewd” painting with a sheet).

    2) A coded announcement of a royal pregnancy
    - The fingers wrapped around Gabrielle’s nipple symbolizes her fertility, an allusion emphasized by the presence of the figure sewing baby’s clothes in the back of the painting.
    - Most art historians interpret the painting as an announcement that Gabrielle is pregnant with the King’s illegitimate son.

    3) A male hetero erotic fantasy
    - The emphasis on the erotic possibilities between sisters.
    - Gabrielle’s status as a mistress.
    - Gabrielle sexualized and stripped even when relaying a pregnancy announcement.
    - The boring fact that depictions of something resembling lesbian arousal is often in the eventual service of male heterosexuality.

    So there you go!  Have a nice weekend!

    Suzan
    Posted in: art
    -Tags: Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters