Yale is well known for its support of the arts. One has only to glance at the fluttering patchwork of flyers on Cross Campus to appreciate the multitude of theatrical and musical events enjoyed by Yale students every week. Yale also boasts a vibrant visual arts community. Yet, among more than thirty undergraduate publications with topics ranging from travel to social justice, there was no magazine devoted to the visual arts and their rich history. With the financial and intellectual backings of Yale University, we hope to establish a magazine that will inform the Yale community of the state of the visual arts both on- and off-campus, in past and present times.

The content of our magazine falls into three categories - Art History, Contemporary Art, and Art at Yale. Articles under "Art History" addresses past art movements, artists, and their works. "Contemporary Art" features reviews of local New Haven artists, current exhibits, and essays on controversial issues in modern art. "Art at Yale" showcases works from the Yale community, including Sudler-funded and School of Art student shows, interviews with faculty, and highlights of the Yale art museums.

In the language of art, dimension refers to the spatial configuration of a work, differentiating the flat from the voluminous, or more recently, the temporal. Instead of advocating specific art forms or ways of thinking about art, this magazine seeks to provide a comprehensive view of the visual arts, capturing its many "dimensions" and contradictions through the contributions of students with differing perspectives, ranging from those of artists themselves, to critics, philosophers, and historians.

As the first Yale undergraduate publication of its kind, "Dimensions" tries to capture "what is art" as seen through the eyes of the Yale community. Through features on Yale museums and student shows, "Dimensions" also promotes campus-wide involvement in and appreciation for the visual arts. Our writers and readers are not limited to Art and Art History majors; students from diverse areas of study write, illustrate, and photograph for us. With their contributions, we hope to create a forum for serious discussion about art within Yale's student body, enriching Yale's undergraduate culture for years to come.

Copyright © 2007 Ming Min Hui. All rights reserved.