Truth Project, Youth Exhibit

“We told them ‘It may be realistic, abstract, political, or a cartoon drawing in form. Whatever it is, it will be authentic and, hopefully, original to you.’ ”  Matheson obtained a documentary from Teen Truth.com  that deals with teen issues: body image, bullying, alcohol and substance abuse, loneliness, parents and more, which students also viewed.  “This film, written and filmed by teens, asks the questions: Are you making a difference? What code do you live by? Do you stand up for the truth? Is your truth something you’ve hidden? These were the questions worth exploring through art and writing.”

Artist Larain Matheson says the Truth Project came about after she viewed a documentary film, “Dishonesty, The Truth about Lies”.

“In a time such as this, where the eroding of truth seems almost acceptable in the political arena,” she says, “I wanted to work with local high school students to help them find a way to express what their own Personal Truth looked like.”

The video will be shown during the art opening and periodically throughout the exhibit.

The film presents the research of Yael Melamede and the stories of people who have been caught in their lies. It also explores, through behavioral experiments, the tendency for humans to be a “little” dishonest. Larain was inspired to follow her intuition, to pursue this project with the help of the art teachers at the local high schools.

“As we have heard, the Bible says,”The Truth Shall set You Free.” I was curious ‘What does “Truth” look like to these students?’  Getting a look at the Truth for each of us, opens dialogue among students for self-reflection,” Matheson said.