Dreamlike Imagery
This work exemplifies Surrealism, characterized by dreamlike imagery and exploration of the unconscious. The floating spheres and fragmented figures reflect the author’s interest in science and fantasy. This painting represents the connection between perception and reality, encouraging viewers to reflect on how we perceive ourselves and the world around us, blending reality with imagination in a creative, thought-provoking way.
Ephemeral Reaction
In our first glance
All movement ceased
The nucleons, static,
Your beauty captured.
When from afar
The strong force returned,
Though deconstructed
Your grace still reigned.
Noble and calm,
Quiet and stable,
Your pensive nature,
All reactions quenched.
Further away
From this inner world,
A macrocosm
Made man reflect.
You are the Goddess,
A Nereid, they said.
She who in the Universe
Forged dance ensembles of
Smalls, femtos, gigas, amongst
Trillions of spheres of
Matter, Gas, Ice.
All the while Chronos
Searching a majestic formula
To conceive of you:
Galatea, the Creator
Of Love, Life and all that is Unknown.
Nelson Manstein, RE ‘26
Insights
The main realization for me while writing this poem was that the macrocosm may indeed be a larger scale representation of what happens in a microcosm at the atomic level. Depending on the element, for example Uranium vs. Helium, the nature and magnitude of the movement and reactions that take place in the nucleus, may be completely different, mirroring the various behaviors of planets in billions of galaxies in our Universe.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Philosophy |
Revenge of Self-Negligence
Divine femininity,
What is it worth? Years of self negligence
transforming into spheres of appreciation that come at a certain age.
Or merely a certain woman telling you the importance
of divine femininity.
A last laugh, that revenge
the divine femininity finally coming into play.
Being seen via colorful planets
telling you that it does not matter what you look like
who you emulate
what you love
you are a divine feminine.
A planet,
a gravitational force to be reckoned with.
Emily Lawrence, Wake Forest ‘27
Insights
1: Beauty is not recognized as infinite for most women in today’s society. In other words, there are certain standards to live up to as promoted by social media, for example, that are created by other people. Therefore, connecting a woman to the infinite galaxy can be a reminder that beauty, as well, can be infinite and found in every aspect of a woman. Thus, proposing this idea of all women being “divine” in their own unique ways.
2: The tough exterior of planets, that tend to degrade over time, such as rocks on the moon becoming sand or climate changes in Saturn (or even Earth via global warming – to reference a more common example) can be connected to the degradation people in general (my poem is more specified towards women, but I think all people can relate to this) feel in the challenges of life.
3: Human behavior is easy to manipulate when there are prevalent sources that keep promoting the same ideas. That degradation is stemmed from ideas that are tossed to promote certain ideals that may not fit what life today is all about. For example, beauty standards today are not the same as they were in the 1700s, when women commonly suffered from childbirth due to lack of medical advancements and were, therefore, encouraged to remain a certain physique.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Biology, Psychology |
Spheres Of Beauty
In spheres of light, Galatea reappears,
Atoms dance as science shifts its gears.
Each orb a whisper of geometry’s grace,
Symmetry’s tender embrace in this fragmented space.
Atomic whispers paint her timeless face,
Optic dreams through Dali’s hand retrace.
Where math and art in harmony combine,
Galatea shines, where science and beauty align.
Ciara Diaz, New World School of the Arts ‘26
| Fields the author associated with the art | Math, Physics, Chemistry |
Labyrinth of Dreams
In my labyrinth of dreams, Galatea spins spheres—
worlds born from the tender caress of nothing.
Each speck, a universe manifesting its own narrative,
with echoes of creation in soft whispers
Vlad Ponomarenko, RE ‘25
Insights
I realized the sheer expansiveness of the universe, our tiny existence, and the interconnectedness of all matter in our universe.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Psychology, Philosophy |
Ethereal
In orbs of light, her form takes flight,
Galatea’s grace in spheres so bright.
A goddess born of cosmic dreams,
In Dali’s world, surreal she gleams.
Christopher Tsialas, RE ‘26
Insights
The poem captures Galatea’s ethereal form emerging from orbs of light, reflecting Dali’s surreal and celestial vision. It emphasizes her grace, beauty, and timelessness, portraying her as a divine figure in a dream-like, dynamic space.
| Fields the author associated with the art | Physics, Technology, Psychology |