The Hidden Truth: Myths Edition

Good Luck, Miguel!!
The other day while we were preparing photos with Miguel for a presentation, he took an entire
roll of paper, and when we weren’t looking, he slammed it on the table. We were all screaming,
and Ronya yelled “Why!...Why!...” Miguel didn’t say anything. He just looked at us, silent, and
walked away.
This was our loveable Miguel, who was always joking at AS220. But Miguel is leaving us to go
pursue a life out on the west coast, where, we hear, it is always sunny, where almost all year long
it is beach time, where he can sing his salsa music in warm California weather, where he can find
a new audience for his perfect imitations of everyone from central America to north Providence,
and where he will begin his own professional photographic journey. In response to this inevitable
fact, the entire studio cries: “Why! Why!” He’s a one-of-a-kind guy at
AS220: taking photo classes in the training school, teaching classes
at the training school, he’s been on every end of everything that
goes on here. He’s the one who knows about what it means to
teach here, what it means to learn here, the one who is wise and
humble at the same time. A dedicated Photography
instructor, by putting things inside the frame, he helps us
think outside the box, and fill this whole place with love.
We are writing this note to Miguel as a group, here in
creative writing class, and it’s clear just from the environment
that we are all under Miguel’s permanent influence. Edwin says:
“he’s my sensei.” Brian: “He’s the kind of person you want to
look up to (He’s also the sh*t). Nick: “Everything. Cool.” Bryan:
“He’s the one who taught me how to use a camera.” Sam: “Miguel
was one of the first people I saw in the professional world who I
actually wanted to be like. I saw him biking home from gigs, with
no gloves on, in the winter, late at night. People respect him as a
teacher, but his presence contradicts everything boring, closed, and
conservative about school.” It makes sense that he’s going west.
Anyone that radical is also transcontinental—goodbye Miguel!
Thank you for showing us how to in the words of Jean Toomer
“meet the world’s terms, but never accept them.”
The hidden truth: Myths edition
When we sat down to make this most recent issue of The Hidden Truth, we were
jazzed about a couple of things.
First, we had been hard at work on a series of videos, broadsides, shows, postings,
dispatches, and more for the Smithsonian Museum’s Will to Adorn project, an ongoing conversation sponsored by the Smithsonian that aims to document African
American style, sounds, shines. Forms of adornment, in other words. Anything
that has to do with that generally gets us excited around here.
Second, we were beyond jazzed to host the Alchemy Group at the Studio and at
the Rhode Island Training School. Alchemy is an organization of young black
men who came to us to share their myths and their conversation. Through a series
of incredible workshops (with crying, laughter, crying after laughter, laughter
after crying, and dunkin donuts), they were able to rephrase our problems in the
forms of myths, myths that were funny, passionate, violent, sad. Everyone who
listened felt as if they shared in something, shared sorrows, shared strategies for
confronting those sorrows. Except we were talking about kings, queens, gold, sorcerers, sensous love, the murder of horses, etc, instead of the streets of downtown
Providence.
It was with these things in mind, the expressions of a culture, the sharing of
stories—that we decided to make this issue of The Hidden Truth all about myths.
Edwin P, Brian A, Chris J, Nick F, Brian F, and Lener M made up the staff of the
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magazine, and their hard work has paid off. The greek word MUTHOS, which is where
we get ‘myth’ from, actually meant simply, ‘word,’ or ‘speech.’ It is impossible, in other
words, to separate what myths are and were from what communication was and is. Stories, symbols--the things we show, share, and tell one another—these things are like the
connective tissue in our communal body. Word-fibers. Myth-capillaries. Okay, enough.
We hope you enjoy checking out what we’ve been thinking about down here.
Ryan Dwyer, Gianna Rodriguez, and Sam Sullivan helped to put the issue together.
Anne Kugler and Karen Orsi were also instrumental.
ELIZABETH
YANIRI
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contents:
4
Ronya t interviewed
6
BRIAN A’s NOTEBOOKS
10 ariel b explains jaguars
12 mythical foods
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statshot: bigfoot
17 EDWIN P AND JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ
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r.i.t.s. pics with myths
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Chris J, mystic
27 lener M reflects on those who have passed
roberto
carlos
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RONYA T MAkes MYTHOLOGICAL CLOTHING for the WILL TO
ADORN
An interview with the painter of signs, symbols, and soul
photo by matt a
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What Are You Working on right now?
I am currently working on the Will to Adorn project trying to finish everything in time for the
big show which is coming on pretty fast. The Will to Adorn is a night that is dedicated to
African American style and expressive culture.
Have you always been a painter? How has painting changed your outlook on making art?
No I have not always been a painter. In fact, I still am trying to come to grips with the fact that
people are liking my artwork. It’s amazing. Experimenting with art has actually I think made me
find another outlet for my emotions. Whenever I felt down or sad, I used to write. Now I think of
a painting as something that can describe my feelings in an image.
How are your paintings and will to adorn projects related to Myth?
Well that’s actually a good question. In my painting, I think have taken on more of a sense of my
heritage since I started this project. Which I would imagine will happen when some one works
on a project long enough.
What is the relationship between myths and art? Are they the same thing?
The relationship between myth and art is tricky. I don’t really think I can answer that,
because I actually think that art making has a lot to do with myths. Whenever I have an image
pop into my head it stays there, making me want to paint it all day. A part of me wonders: why is
this bothering me so much? It’s like a hold. Unless I get it out, I can’t focus the whole day. Now,
what if in reality this is my ancestors telling to make something? Or does it just come from the
myths I hear? I guess we will never know.
how would you define a symbol?
The definition for symbol means something that holds depth for the person or causes a certain
reaction or non-action. In my opinion anything can be a symbol. I am a very understanding
person, or at least I try to be, so anything can be a symbol, even myths.
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METALLIC MYTHOS:
THE NOTEBOOKS OF BRIAN A
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ANUBIS
Verse 1:
HE IS THE GOD OF
DEATH, WHO LIKES TO
KILL AND SELL YOUR
SOUL.
HE IS PURE TERROR,
WORSE THAN SATAN.
HE IS A GOD; HE LIKES
TO KILL AND DESTROY.
INTO RED.
RAINING BLOOD; HE IS
LAUGHING CAUSE HE
THINKS HE IS GOD.
INCREASING HIS POWER
,PRAYING TO HE IS
GOING TO CATCH HIS
PREY.
Chorus
Chorus:
IF YOU ARE OUT AND
YOU SEE ANUBIS
“YOU RUN.”
IF HE CATCHES YOU, HE
WILL SELL YOUR SOUL.
WITHOUT MERCY “HE
WILL KILL.”
WITH A COLD HEART
ANUBIS KILLS AND SELL
SOULS.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”
Verse 2:
YOU WILL KNOW WHEN
HE SHOWS AROUND.
THE SKY WILL TURN
Verse 3:
HE JUMPS FROM HELL
TO HEAVEN LOOKING
FOR SOULS.
HE COMES TO EARTH
WITH DEATH TO GET
MORE.
THERE IS NO M ATCH TO
HIS POWER. IT’S BETTER
FOR YOU IF YOU STOP
HIDING
AND WHAT YOU DON’T
KNOW IS THAT ANUBIS
“SOY YO.”
I did this song because my
teacher and friend Sam was
doing a project with cards
about goddesses and gods
from different places. I chose
the card for Anubis, and I
found out that he was the god
of death from Egypt, and that
he sells souls. My friend Sam
told me to write a song about
that. The next day I came up
with this song Anubis; I am
already done, finished, finito.
A lot of metal
is mythological or almost
mythological. Here is a quote
from the Slayer song, “Hell
Awaits”: “Priests of Hades
seek the sacred star / Satan
sees the answer lies not far
/ Zombies screaming souls
cry out to you / Satanic laws
prevail your life is through
/ Pray to the moon... when
it is round / Death with you
shall then abound / What you
seek... for can’t be found / In
sea or sky or underground...”
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Kyle C
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Carlos h
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ARIEL B
HOW THE JAGUAR CAME TO BE
Myths, we have learned, can often explain the origins of a thing, a
people, a place..
In all of the earth, there were many
animals—except the one that we have
today called the panther. One day a
lion was roaming around in the jungle
away from it’s pride looking at new
sights. He kept on walking and walking all alone in the jungle. The sun was
blazing bright and the day was full of
warmth. There were many animals
talking amongst themselves, birds
chirping, animals growling, insects
making small noises, tree frogs croaking, and small animals rustling around
on the ground.
The lion wandering about
came across a type of bird called the
owl; he spotted it from afar without
the owl knowing of his presence. He
was furtive about not being seen. The
owl caught the lion attention because
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of its dazzling eyes that glistened in the
sunlight. The lion had never seen such
beautiful eyes and thought to himself
that he HAD to have them. So he left
to make his plan.
The lion retreated back to his
pride to think of how he could get
those beautiful eyes. The lion thought
that should disguise himself so no one
would see him, and so that he would
be able to sneak around. The lion
decided to paint himself black so he
wouldn’t be seen. He used black rocks
that he found scattered around in the
jungle to paint himself. He pounded
and grounded the rocks he found into
a dust and smudged it all over all of his
body. After that, he thought his mane
might give him away if he were spotted, so he cut that off. He was ready
and waited until everything was quiet
and silent, and began his hunt into the
jungle.
He walked and walked, searching for this owl. The jungle was quiet
with the exception of small creatures
and nocturnal animals lurking about.
Many insects made distinct noises that
were loud, crickets made their special
sounds, and other insects made theirs.
This jaguar (he was already something
different) heard hoots from an owl
nearby, and walked slowly towards the
noise getting closer and closer with
every step.
Finally he came across the owl
high up in a tree, sitting on a branch,
the owl softly hooting into the darkness. The jaguar crouched down and
then burst up the tree’s trunk as fast
as he could, and snatched the owl off
the branch, and pinned the owl to the
ground. The owl was defenseless and
the lion did not hesitate. He ate the
owl whole.
Then a slightly strange feeling
occurred in the lion, and he roared in
a different way, as if the lions voice had
become something else. Then his eyes
changed color too, and the night was
more visible to him; his eyes were now
the beautiful eyes that he wanted.
This is how the lion came to
be a jaguar. This is why jaguars kill and
eat owls and other birds: because they
want to be the only ones with nice
eyes.
abner r
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INdira M
Dalien G
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Kassy K
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Kyle C
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STATSHOT
Lener M Polls the Studio
Who is uglier:
Bigfoot or the Mortal Kombat character Baraka?
BIGFOOT IS UGLIER:
10%
BARAKA IS UGLIER:
BOTH HOT:
80%
10%
Who would win in a fight?
BIGFOOT WINS: 60%
BARAKA WINS: 40%
Are spells real?
YES: 86%
NO:
14%
Does Bigfoot have big feet?
YES: 50%
NO: 12.5%
UNSURE: 37.5%
michelle c
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Billy P
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EDWIN P ON PHOTOS AND MYTHOS
EDWIN AND JOSEPH HAVE AN INTENSE DISCUSSION ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY,
capturing people’s stories, and what those stories can teach us.
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During the time that Joseph Rodriguez was
visiting I learned something very valuable.
I know that I wasn’t the only youth student
from AS220 that did. The new techniques and
feelings that Joseph used to show us his photos
were very deep. The photos had a lot of meaning and symbolism, a lot of expression, and
different points of view. During his presentation I also noticed the way he talked about his
journeys around the world. The different kinds
of stories he had behind his photos, and all
the different people he met, touched me in a
way. Seeing a well known famous artist such as
Rodriguez inspired me to do the same with my
photography. He taught me something about
his art: he loves what he does. He said you
should continue your pursuit of happiness.
Joseph opened my eyes, telling me do what I
love, to continue doing my photography no
matter what people say or think. Keep doing
what you’re doing. He told his audience that
we are all artists at as220. Keep coming up
my camera is my shadow.
my camera is a part of me.
with our artwork, keep coming up with new
ideas. In a way I got the sense even outside
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the audience that he was telling me personally to do what I love. He understood the
true meaning of photography: to capture the
moment, and remember the times of what
you photograph. You capture a piece of history
with your camera.
M
y camera is my friend; my camera is my
shadow; my camera is a part of me; my camera
is my tool; it is also my instrument, and ill
never leave anywhere. I go everywhere with
my camera; I’ll have my camera to capture
moments of things--beautiful things that happen in this life, talking to people, meeting new
people. Taking photos of new places, and places that have meaning to me. Photography will
always be a part of my life. I want to get closer
and closer to my passion: working with film
and digital photography. I am artist and I’m on
the road to get better at what I love doing. This
is the way for me to express how I feel, how I
feel about places and people. I want to get get
different views and perspectives from my audience. To seek the truth by taking the photo.
To always remember to go back to the time
when the photo was taken. I can always tell a
story with my photo. I can storytell about what
I can remember about the photo, and create
a idea with the photo itself. Photography has
helped me become a better person, thanks to
Mr. Rodriguez. He reminded me of the true
joy of and key to photography. I don’t want to
let go of it. I want to keep coming up with my
photography ideas and come with up with better ways and techniques in my photos.
A myth is something that
may exist or may not exist,
but a photo is more reliable:
it shows what is there, and
what is not there.
never disappear. When you see something in
a photograph, you know that it happened, and
you will never forget it. A myth is something
that may exist or may not exist, but a photo is
more reliable: it shows what is there, and what
is not there. What myths have in common
with the photograph are the story and the tale.
It’s how you, the photographer, the myth-teller,
take it, describe it. in a way, myths and photos
do intertwine. They both tell stories, they both
describe things, they both help people think
about what’s going on in their lives, in their
past, and in their past lives.
P
hotographs these days help the present
overlap with the past. You can look back into
the photo, and look back into where the photo
was originally taken, what that time meant. In
a family, which always needs conversations,
traditions and culture, photographs are something that we can look at in order to connect
with whoever is in the photo from the past
while we connect with the people looking at
the photo. This is the one true gift of photography. Unlike a memory, a photograph will
bryan f
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eileen
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DRAWING PHOTOS, PICTURING MYTHOLOGY
MIGUEL ROSARIO’s CLASS AT THE Rhode ISLAND TRAINING SCHOOL
What you see the us using at the R.I.T.S. in these images is called light drawing.
We do it because of the awesome visual effect, but it works particularly well at
the training school: this is because it is a sensitive process, and many students
play necessary roles. Someone has to get a light reading. Someone must pose as
a model. Someone needs to snap the actual camera. Someone needs to count off
the appropriate time of exposure. Someone needs to draw with the lights, and
so forth. It ties making art--even composing a photograph--to a sense of community. The mythological content of the images is another way of enhancing that
sense of community. I try to get people to connect, but if I say: ‘Oh, this is about
someone from the hood who did this and did that,’ then it becomes to specific,
to personal--someone ends up thinking to themselves: ‘well, that’s not how it was
with me.’ When we work with myths, all the passion is still there, all the realness,
all the violence, even--all the things we need to process in our own lives. But it
doesn’t have to be about anyone in particular. It’s about all of us. I can say: ‘Well,
what do you think about that?’
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Alchemy talks
mYths at the
R.I.T.S.,
performs
troublesburning ritual
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CHRIS J THE MYSTIC...ASK HIM ANYTHING....
Came into AS220, Sam came up to me and asked: “What is the
Hidden Truth today?” I looked up at him and said, “There is NO
Hidden Truth. Maybe what is “hidden,” has been right here all
along. I asked Sam what his Hidden Truth is for today. He said:
“Staying calm is a virtue for me.” He said he learned that over the
past few months. To let it flow, to be patient--that’s an art. Do we all
flow? Do we ride with the wind? Here’s today’s horoscope:
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer Leo Virgo Libra Scorpio Sagittarius Aquarius pisces You are the god of war. Know that.
Wear your red cape.
You are two people with just one soul.
You’ll be feeling crabby today.
SIMBAAAAAAAAA!!!
You will...
Go to the library. Liberate yourself.
Sting, just sting.
You will get abducted by aliens today, tomorrow, next year.
Aquamarine water...It’s good for the soul.
You need to keep swimming, just keep swimming.
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LENER M
MYTHS, WE HAVE LEARNED, CAN BE A WAY OF CONNECTING WITH
PEOPLE WHO HAVE PASSED, STORIES THAT OVERLAP LIVES
I interviewed people to ask them how they still connect with people
that were close to them that have passed away. How were people able
to get over something so precious to them? They wish it all never happened. They hope that one day they all feel at peace, once they reach
that person again. Some people say they remember people through the
memories they have with a particular person. Later that night, because
I was inspired by the kids who have passed from AS220 Youth to give
my first stage performance. What was going through my mind was the
nervousness I had because it was my first on-stage performance. I was
dedicating the performance to the people who came to AS220. The
interviews that I did with people around the studio helped me think
about these people, as did remembering three people in particular I
knew who were close to me and passed away.
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KYLE C
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RULES OF MYTHS
We tried to write a myth with these rules, which we
adapted from joseph cambpell
1. A young person leaves home
2. Due to something beyond their control, they end up in
a location other than the one they intended
3. they get into some kind of trouble there
4. They have to use their wits to get out of the
trouble
5. somehow they get back home, possibly, but not
necessarily, using magic
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RULES of myths--dOES IT WORK?????
One day, when he was wearing his black skinny jeans, his Metallica T-Shirt, his
jean jacket, his Nikes, and his machete, mister Brian A left his house to destroy
poseurs. On the way to the poseurs’ house, where, not surprisingly, the 90s glammetal band Poison practiced—Brian’s LEAST favortite—he was swept up by a
talking, but not so talkative, dragon. Brian screamed and screamed. Then he fell
immediately asleep. But when he awoke, he was at a Emo music festival (groud
zero for poseurs, according to Brian). The festival was, incidentally, in the middle
of the ocean, on the USS O’Riley, an old aircraft carrier that was converted into a
concert venue. Everyone was wearing black. Too much. More black than Metallica wears, which is a lot of black. Black lipstick, etc. Brian felt terrified, angry.
There were simply too many poseurs here. The dragon, who, Coincidentally,
went by Paul Baloff, turned to Brian and said, ‘you must destroy the emos, and
liberate the world from poseurs.’ Brian thought it was impossible. Then he had an
idea: to play in the concert. He put on emo makeup as quickly as possible. Then
he sprinted up to the stage. He somehow grew out his bangs many inches in a
matter of minutes. Lulling the crowd with his face-blocking bangs, he then erupts
into a vigorous performance of Exodus’ “Bounded by Blood.” His hair kept
growing, rapidly, until it looked like Dave Mustaine’s. His jeans faded into faded
jean color, as the emos screamed....stop....stop...All of them died. Or evaporated.
Then a plane crashed on the dock, and Brian escaped in it. The real Paul Baloff
was piloting, and he told Brian that he WAS the dragon all along, that he was
actually very talkative, and that he had filmed the entire thing—for an epic music
video.
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AS220 YOUTH IS A FREE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAM SERVING YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 14-21,
WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON THOSE IN THE CARE AND CUSTODY OF THE STATE. OUR GOAL IS TO
ENGAGE YOUTH IN A CREATIVE PROCESS THAT WILL LEAD TO POSITIVE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL,
AND VOCATIONAL OUTCOMES.
THE HIDDEN TRUTH IS OUR LITERARY MAGAZINE, FEATURING WORK FROM YOUTH AT OUR
THREE TEACHING SITES: THE DOWNTOWN STUDIO, UCAP MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THE RHODE
ISLAND TRAINING SCHOOL (RITS).
While as220 has an uncensored, unjuried policy, our partnership with the training
school and dcyf requires us to edit. we cannot print work that glorifies crime,
drug use, or violence, and we have to stay away from graphic sexual content and
excessive curse words.
we think we’ve attained a balance between as220’s “anything goes” philosophy
and dcyf’s pro-social goals. in the pages of the hidden truth, you’ll find the voices
of young people - as diverse as they come - in their truest form.
you can see more youth work at youth.as220.org under the portfolios tab.
we’d love to hear what you think! contact us at [email protected]