arts // no. 10 theotherpress.ca Interview with photographer Tina Rensby » Slice of Life exhibit ‘Born to Make You Happy’ Alexis Zygan Staff Writer hursday, April 22 was opening night for Born to Make You Happy, a visual art exhibit featuring analogue photography by Tina Rensby. The Other Press had the chance to speak with Rensby over the phone about her upcoming exhibition, shooting on 35mm film, and her relationship to femininity. “I didn’t want Born to Make You Happy to be overtly sexual, rather a celebration of femme artists and creatives in Vancouver and how they embody their definitions of beauty. One of the ways I perform my gender is by taking feminine photos,” says Rensby. The print of awoman dressed in a monochromatic colour scheme adorned with angel wings radiates ethereal beauty. With its fiery hue, it calls to mind a femme cupid. “Tama Taurus sun, ruled by Venus, so I am very romantic. I have big heart eyes for human beings,” explains Rensby. She is inspired by pop music, classical art, and astrology. Born to Make You Happy is named after a song recorded by pop icon Britney Spears, in which the lyrics speak of the universal experience of hopelessly yearning for a lover post break up. When creating, the concept of meaning exists as an afterthought. “I never set out to make art about femininity, it just happened that way. I am a feminine person and that comes through in my work.” Rensby does not ask the models to dress or look a certain way but instead encourages them to embody their authentic selves. She enjoys photographing them at home, where they feel most comfortable. “I prefer an organic and collaborative approach,” she explains. "I don't have a set idea of how I want photos to look." During COVID, she ventured outside and took portraits near Jericho Beach. While Rensby has taken a variety of photographs, she is captivated by women embodying their unique beauty; they are Illustration by Athena Little her inspiration. By taking portraits, Rensby has connected with other creatives in Vancouver. “My parents bought my first film camera, a point and shoot,” says Rensby. Her childhood photographs were of Barbies and her brother. As a teenager, she purchased an analogue camera and pursued photography as a hobby, taking a liking to the process which she describes as magical. After high school, she studied photography at Emily Carr University, where she learned how to develop prints in a dark room. To this day, she prefers analogue over digital. Though, she has upgraded to a professional level Nikon $3. There are barriers to achieving clear images with a Nikon $3 due to the absence of autofocus and her poor eyesight. Her Pentax camera is handy for achieving sharp images as it has auto focus. With a roll of film costing around $10 per roll, choosing a camera that ensures more images turn out makes sense. As for 35mm film, Rensby prefers Kodak Porta; however, she does not believe the price makes it worthwhile. “I usually shoot with Kodak Gold or Fujifilm Superia because that is what is available and affordable.” Fujifilm Superia is available at London Drugs, unlike Kodak Porta, which is only available at local photo supply stores. Shooting on film can be expensive, but for Rensby, this is her passion. “Tl spend $100 on film and pretend it’s okay,’ she says. If you are genuinely interested in a creative endeavour, it always makes sense to invest your time and finances into it. “T am so excited to show my photos in print because I am so used to showing them online. It is so good to see them in real life and not on a computer.” The photos are displayed at Slice of Life Gallery from April 22 to April 27. Appointments are required to attend private viewings. Tickets cost $10 and they are available for purchase online. Children's shows that have amazing music » It’s no wonder baby tablets exist Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor t’s surprising how many children’s shows make absolute bops. Of course, there’s a necessity to keep kids’ attention while teaching them, but the music these shows feature are way past the point of simply being for toddlers who likely don’t even understand what’s going on. In fact, I personally have many little toddler jingles stuck in my head sometimes for years. No—not because I went out and looked for them, but having an eight-year-old little brother means having to endure many years of PJ Masks, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and weirdly empty shows with white backgrounds and a single car driving around on a floating street. Back to the point, there are many children’s TV shows that go above and beyond in creating music that’s entertaining to kids while also making the show bearable to watch for adults. Here’s a few of them: “Mistake Song” - Shimmer and Shine Shimmer and Shine’s first episode came out on August 24, 2015. Short and sweet, this 31 second song is filled with near atonal harmonies and spicy instrumentation. Likely imitating Egyptian and Arabic music, the instrumentation itself is reminiscent of classical Indian music, as well. The song also has an important message for children, because let’s face it—if kids didn’t try again once they failed, humans would cease to exist. The lyrics go, “When we make a big mistake, don’t fret, let’s celebrate. ‘Cause we'll get another try, we'll do better next time!” “Color Song” - Bubble Guppies Bubble Guppies is a somewhat new kids show (well, it’s from 201, so maybe not). It’s fun and colourful all around, and it has musical scenes in almost every episode. On top of that, every song I’ve heard is great in one way or another. However, the one song that’s been stuck in my head since I’ve heard it (many years ago) is the “Color Song.” With lyrics singing, “Red, orange, yellow, green, purple, blue, white, I like them all but one’s just right,’ you could assume it’s like every other nursery rhyme, but you'd be greatly mistaken. The melody is extremely catchy, and it brings the element of fun by being a tad difficult to sing along to. “Stronger Than You” — Steven Universe I could argue that almost every Steven Universe song deserves to be on this list, but while every song is incredibly strong musically, “Stronger Than You” is on another level in terms of message. Steven Universe could be considered a show for older children in comparison to Shimmer and Shine and Bubble Guppies, but there are still enough lessons suitable for younger children that it earns a rightful spot on this list. The backstory (in a very shortened sense) is that Garnet (the lead of this song) is agem who is a fusion of two other gems. (Although “gems” don’t necessarily have a sex or gender, Ruby and Sapphire appear to be female which strengthens the message). The song revolves around Garnet’s identity, and of being a fusion of two gems Photo by Arnaldo Fragozo who love each other. Fusions are looked down upon in this world, so Garnet is fighting the system. It feels very “gay rights!” and I’m here for it. One of the verses goes, “Go ahead and try to hit me if you're able / Can’t you see that my relationship is stable? / I can see you hate the way we intermingle / But I think youre just mad ‘cause you're single.” While these shows are relatively newer and much different than the ones I grew up with, it’s great to see that children’s shows are still making bangers with far more progressive messages as time goes on.