Editor’s Letters

Lee

In spite of itself, tradition does not encapsulate a set of steadfast nor stationary rules, but instead ebbs and flows with each individual's distinct lived experiences. I find that though the word’s constitution seems to elicit such a distinct set of  inert semiotics, a concrete definition of tradition is not so easily inspired. Like a river that carves new paths while retaining the memory of its source, tradition evolves into our contemporary age not by breaking from the past, but by engaging in quiet dialogue with it—absorbing the rhythms of modern life and adapting  its contours.

In an age of vast international cultural exchange, one may often find that what ‘tradition’ means cannot be tied simply to geographical, societal, nor religious origins. Instead it retains an impenetrable pliancy: shaped not by ourselves alone, but also the values and experiences of others. The beauty of tradition lies within this paradox. 

When tradition is approached not as a past in need of complete preservation, but as a thing in motion and dialogue with our own individual growth, the beauty of the old amalgamates with that of the undiscovered. Thus, through this issue’s theme, what tradition means to each artist evolves within the context of the art around it.

Valentina

Tradition is a funny thing. Sometimes we balk from it, sometimes we embrace it. Sometimes we partake in it even with a mix of pleasure and some abashment. It seems that for the majority of students in twenty-first century Britain, our response to tradition is firmly rooted in its context.

For example, there is a difference in how we view our cultural traditions and how we, for instance, respond slightly more facetiously to the academic/collegiate traditions of a university like Durham (or Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews, etc.). I find it fascinating how tradition has so many facets, and in turn elicits such a variety of reactions. All within one person.

In consideration of this, we wanted this issue to be an exploration of both pride and of humility: of the eternal, amusing ambiguity of practices of tradition – be that academic, cultural, family, or religious. We wish to ask how it is that one may approach one tradition with pride and another with ambivalence or even derision.

Happy reading!