Oracle Summer 2021

The Benefits of Sunscreen Summer is the season of fun in the sun, but it’s important to take care of your skin when you’re exposing it to those poten- tially harmful rays. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of wearing sunscreen at the beach, at the pool, in the park or wherever your summer plans take you! First, according to katesomerville.com , sunscreen helps to keep your complexion even. There’s nothing worse than blotchy sunburn after a day at the beach, but sun- screen helps to reduce sun damage and uneven skin tones. Second, it provides protection from the sun’s UV rays. This is one of the most obvious and notable benefits of sunscreen; it actually minimizes the penetration of UV rays into the skin and can guard against a variety of skin disorders. Third, sunscreen helps protect against the visible signs of premature aging. Over- exposure to sunlight can increase the ap- pearance of facial lines and wrinkles, so be sure to take precautions while you’re out in the sun for an extended period of time. Fourth, it reduces the risk of cancer. No one wants to suffer for enjoying their sum- mer, so why not be safe? Sunscreen re- duces the risk of developing a variety of skin cancers, especially melanoma. Fifth, using sunscreen promotes healthy skin overall. How? Well, there are essen- tial proteins in the skin, like keratin, and they are protected when sunscreen is ap- plied. These proteins are primarily respon- sible for keeping the skin smooth and healthy both in appearance and function. So, there you have it! Even though it may take some time to apply correctly, there is no reason to rush the process of putting on sunscreen to ensure your safety all summer long. Enjoy your fun in the sun! P A G E 1 8 , T H E A D E L P H I O R A C L E , S U M M E R 2 0 2 1 Before you hit the beach this summer, be sure to protect your skin with sunscreen! Image: Amazon Beauty Unfiltered By: Elana Sosnova, Grade 10 Featured Artist: Yoshitomo Nara From loneliness sometimes comes great inspiration. Certain artists opt to spend time alone, thinking and creating in a quiet room. Yoshitomo Nara is one such artist. Nara is known for his depictions of seemingly innocent and simple figures — mostly children — with sometimes sinis- ter undertones. These children seem inno- cent at first glance, but when you look closely, they are holding weapons, or showing vampire fangs, or holding torches. It is fair for the viewer to ques- tion their intentions. These pictures express a sense of lone- liness among their subjects. There may be a little fog, a mountain road or forest in the background of these picture, causing one to think of “Silent Hill.” Timid viewers will definitely be affected by the eerie nature of these paintings. Though his work bears likeness to manga, the artist claims not to have drawn inspiration from the popular graphic nov- els and instead cites his exposure to punk rock as his main influence. Nara exhibited work in New York at the Pace Gallery in 2017, his first exhibi- tion in New York since 2013. Titled “Thinker,” the pieces exhibited repre- sented a shift by Yoshitomo toward a more meditative body of work. Nara was quoted by Art News as saying at the time, “In the past I would have an image that I wanted to create, and I would just do it. I would just get it finished. Now, I take my time and work slowly and build up all these layers to find the best way. Just like you cook so that you know it’s going to be the most delicious, you find a way to make your art the best it can be.” Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara speaks at the Yokohama Art Museum in 2012. Image: Wikipedia The ‘Art’ of the Matter By: Erika Xiang, Grade 12 Nara’s artwork often features children who seem to have dark intentions. Image: sothebys.com