The Collective Magazine: Issue 003 by The Collective Magazine

ISSUE 003

CONTENTS

36 05

Memory Injection III-At a Distance

The Endless Battle

Two Countries of Strange Unsimilarity

Mom’s Dresser in Moroleón

Swimming Past the Limits of a Pond

Untitled

I Remember Doing the Time Warp

Master Puppeteer

untitled self-portrait

Bullet in Board

New Hamster

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Adriana Vaca

Tigeress

EVENT PLANNER Emma Sielaﬀ

Drink More Water

Barefoot Edit 1

Absolute Exhaustion

If It Doesn’t Make Me Shit My Pants, I’m Not Eating It

The Art in Science and the Science in Art

Save the Bees

Skyline

If You Were Given $10,000 Right Now...

Sad Pink Elephant

Spillin’ the Band Tees

Untitled

Sobbing

Meet the Artists

TEAM

FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chantal Vaca

CURATORS Emma Sielaﬀ Adriana Vaca Chantal Vaca COVER ARTIST Sammy Al-Asmar WRITERS Gabriel Battcock Janina Rajas Katia Savoni Adriana Vaca LAYOUT DESIGN Sol Barrios Rusty Green Qaim Naqvi Anna Sealy Chantal Vaca PHOTOGRAPHY Veronica Mullen Chantal Vaca Kevin Zavala Kira Wainstein

I REMEMBER DOING THE

TIME WARP:

A Retrospection on a 40-Year Cult Classic

Photo by Kevin Zavala

Written by Katia Savoni

he brisk October wind slapped me as I stumbled out of the bus in my unnecessarily-high platform heels. I paid no mind to my fellow passengers throwing glares of judgment for my scandalous ensemble of fishnets, a mini black dress and a more than generous amount of makeup. I brushed these looks away because I was headed to a live showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Art Theater and nothing else mattered. Arm in arm in arm in arm, I walked down the street with my best friend and little sister who came to visit for the weekend. 19

As we neared the line to enter, I saw a gathering of cult-followers, all dressed outlandishly in feather boas and fishnets. Nearing the front of the line, one of the cast members inquired if we had ever been to a live show before. I decided to conveniently forget to tell my sister that the cast hazes people who’ve never been. The moment my sister confirmed that it was in fact, her first time, a sadistic smirk shadowed the girl’s face as she drew a large, glaring “V” (for virgin) on my sister’s cheek. I turn to her and go, “You do realize what that means? They’re gonna have you get up on stage and make orgasm sounds in front

of everyone.” I watched my sister’s once smiling face go white with panic, as she frantically started wiping at her face, “Oh my God, help me get it off!” she shrieked. Veterans of the show turned in their seats and snickered as they watched us aggressively scrape at her branded cheek. What makes The Rocky Horror Picture Show such an iconic cult classic? Time for a history lesson: Rocky Horror premiered on August 14th, 1975 in London. The film was a box office flop upon its initial release. When RHPS first came out it was widely ignored, but thanks to midnight showings in various theaters, the movie gathered a following of fans who continued to attend each screening. There has not been a moment where the film has not been playing somewhere in the world since.

“It kinda came out in a time where underground film was more popular, and this is honestly one of the more accessible, underground, independent raunchy sex movies.” The cult-like atmosphere arose from the creation of audience-callouts and shadow casts. During these midnight showings, fansbegan to respond to lines in the movie with their own comments, jokes, insults, and pop-culture references. Fans soon began to perform with the characters on screen, creating a secondary cast, and would often lead many of these callouts. These traditions normalized the audience interaction, which has led to the close-knit fanbase of the show that is still growing to this day. It is the devout fan base that has immortalized The Rocky Horror Picture Show into a pop-culture phenomenon. I was curious to see what this production means to Veterans of the show and “Virgins” alike. One take on Rocky Horror’s longevity came from former film student and Rocky Horror Vet, RT

Hardiman, “It kinda came out in a time where underground film was more popular, and this is honestly one of the more accessible, underground, independent raunchy sex movies. I think they just kept playing it... and you know- things become legendary once you start playing them enough, and that’s what happened.” The constant showing of the film in theaters created traditions among the community of fans who would continue to return to each screening. Many credit Rocky Horror’s “cult classic” status to its blatant strangeness and endearing cheesiness. According to student Genevieve Severini, “It is just so strange and by the end of it everything is a huge mess and it’s like really kind of crazy and weirdjust everything about it is very odd.” This film was progressive for its time and began to shine a light on being open about sexuality through its sex-positive plot. I spoke with shadow cast staff member Jake Fava on why Rocky Horror stands out to this day: “It’s so out there. It’s so weird. It’s like, so bad… But it’s also extremely sexpositive and liberating and an awesome experience for everyone involved.” Another aspect of Rocky Horror’s popularity is the fondness formed for each of the outlandish, quirky characters that inspire fans to dress up in costumes and channel their faves. Frank N. Furter is especially a fan favorite, “Frank, he’s iconic,” explains Fava. . ith the reprise of “Science Fiction/Double FeaW ture,” came the end of the screening. The shadow cast actors strut onto the stage in their six-inch stilettos and sultry, corset-clad ensembles as they took their bows amidst the hoots and hollers of the crowd. As we shuffled towards the exit, I saw people of all backgrounds, genders, and ages, embracing each other and admiring one another’s costumes as if they were all part of the same glitter-covered family, and I guess they sort of were. These humble humans are the reason that The Rocky Horror Picture Show has not ceased being screened since its birth over forty years ago, and continues to inspire people to be their truest selves with every midnight viewing. 20

bullet in board i spend most nights lying to myself and in myself. mornings are tossed and shaken, but afternoons, those are meant for taping. i like everything to stick, but mostly i tend to focus: lining the windows heavily with adhesive. i don’t know what i’ll glue to them, but i do know that whatever i do decide upon—it will be for me to look at and not outsiders. even the things that are meant to be for others, are mostly for yourself. every now and then i like to think that the cactus which i neglect to water, but who still strategically exists—spined and standing—means to be something more than rough, self-serving, and mine. 23

New Hampster Amber is a sound made not only for me but for girls who question whether the girl she likes will want to dance while wars linger and bombs land. The girl who likes to dream of roses without thorns, kings without crowns, and Jesus with sunglasses. She adds the last one, I just listen. She tells me of a world with all land and no water: “Lovers of the sea settling for a bathtub of wine, sailors unsung at by sirens and blinded by the lighthouse of remaining with family.” I can’t think of a thing she could tell me that would make me anymore unmad and simplistically anxious: like the pets trapped at pet stores, she looks at me like I “can deserve more but only if someone says so.” 24

30 30

The Art in Science and the Science in Art By Janina Rojas

ur society loves to create binariesblack/white, male/ female, science/art. But the most sublime ideas in our world avoids these distinctions: the golden spiral, derived from logarithmic ratios and evident in the Mona Lisa and curvature of a rose or computing vector graphics and typography to create the flashy, alluring media we consume. We come from a culture that seeks to avoid the 9-to-5 but deplores anyone making a living outside of it. In college, we’re expected to choose between studying STEM and the humanities. I spoke to some students who find a way to incorporate both into their lives.

Andrea Gutierrez: Actuarial Science Student “I combine my academic and artistic sides by balancing the two in my everyday life. If I’ve been studying for a STEMrelated class and need a break, I’ll stimulate other parts of my brain. It helps clear my head and get back to my work with new ways of thinking. A way we can immerse ourselves in both the arts and sciences is by finding any existing overlap between the two and magnifying it.” Mary Woloszyn: Biophysics Student “Art is distinctively human and wholly subjective. Science is unconcerned with feelings: we, as living organisms, may exist within it, but the issues that it deals with long predate our existence. Despite the fact that art and science appear to constitute a dichotomy of two irreconcilable extremes,

they are heavily intertwined. The thread that ties them together is the view that life is better described as a mosaic rather than a black and white photograph. I can gaze at a Renaissance portrait and appreciate its geometric composition while also finding solace in the simple beauty of an equation like e=mc^2.” Katie Lacy: Computer Science Student “Most of my life is consumed by math and computer science. The degree is heavy and takes up a lot of my time, making art a side hobby. However, the way I maintain it in my life is by recognizing it’s not a distraction, but a strength. If I am stuck on a programming problem, I take an hour or two to draw or do something creative, and my brain will see the problem from a different perspective.”

Qaim Naqvi: Environmental Science Student and Animator “I study Environmental Science and in my free time, I work on art or animations for my animation studio. The reason I practice both is because I see great potential in each of them. Science and art are fundamentally different. Science is a way of understanding and explaining natural phenomena. Science must be neutral, precise, and indifferent in its process and outcomes. Art is of two major types: the first is functional, things like design that make technology more intuitive. This art usually does not express any emotion nor is it usually an expression of the artist. The second type is the more traditional art that most people are familiar with. This art usually expresses and invokes emotion, personality, and style, things that science consciously avoids.”

Dylan Steer: Graduate student in Materials Science and Engineering “They’re opposing activities that allow me to experience a greater range of life (even just from the point of view of being able to “escape” when one field is too much at that moment). They are in several ways very disparate activities with little overlap. For a scientist, the absence of rigor, observable truth, etc. is disastrous. But, for the arts, these are assets, as art is our attempt to mirror our experience outwards and hopefully communicate beliefs or experience. The way I ‘combine my love for art and science into a way of life’ is to allow them to train and inform my development in the other. I’ve explicitly used art as a way to develop past perfectionism,

or to learn how to be freely questioning and creative, or even just how to learn. Julia Monk: Lab and Field Assistant at Woese Institute for Genomic Biology “When I was young, I spent my summers at day camps that introduced me to the relationship between art and nature. Although they were usually identified as either art or science-focused, the two themes were always inextricably connected. Today, art and science are still two of the most central influences on my life, and my chronic curiosity continues to draw them together. There’s art in every ecosystem and science behind every brush stroke. You just have to be willing to look for the connection.”

YOU

Were Given

$10,000

Right Now, What Would YOU Spend It On?

THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INSPIRED BY MENTAL HEALTH/ILLNESS

SPILLIN’ THE BAND TEES Eunice Alpasan Graphic tees are a wardrobe staple and a fun way to let our personalities shine through a piece of clothing. For music lovers, band tees can act as an extension of themselves by expressing their taste in music through fashion. Our favorite band tees hold more than just sweat and stains, but the memories we made while wearing them. They become more than something to throw on, but become a part of our identity. Whether tied to a fond concert memory or helping them through tough times, the following band tee wearers share the stories behind their favorite tees.

Veronica Mullen

“My band tee is a System of a Down t-shirt that I found at a thrift store in downtown Champaign. I kinda squealed a bit because I was so surprised to find it. It was cool because it was an older band tee that they probably don’t sell anymore so it was a good find. The band has sentimental value as well. I used to listen to crappy top-forty music in middle school, and whenever I would drive places with my dad, he’d play System of a Down and it kind of shaped my music taste today. It was a super good feeling to just randomly find a t-shirt of a band that really means a lot to me. It made me feel all nostalgic.”

“The band tee is a shirt from the band Kayak Jones. It was the first shirt they printed. It has lyrics from a song called Stigmata from their first EP. I first heard about Kayak Jones through a friend and saw them on the first tour they went on. After that, I toured with them 3 times in 2016 to take photos/document their tours. All of the memories I made on tour are very special to me. They were one of the first bands to take me out on the road. They became my good friends and it’s been great seeing them grow and progress as a band and I’m excited to continue supporting them, just like they supported me when they took me on tour.”

Katia Savoni

“My Trophy Eyes tee I got at Warped 2015, Milwaukee, Wisconsin means a lot to me. Although I donʼt listen to them much anymore, they did help me through a very mentally rough time. I saw them that day and got them all to sign it. I was in a very bad relationship, trying to deal with some of my ﬁrst hardcore episodes of depression, and was just trying to grow up. I was just starting high school. I had a lot of confusion and anger and sadness all built up inside of me, so when I found their music and their lyrics, they spoke to me. But now that her and I have split ways, now that Iʼve made new friends, now that Iʼve started to focus on me and my passions, Iʼve gotten a little bit better. This has affected my music tastes and has led me away from angsty Trophy Eyes. Still love emʼ to death though.”

Drake Maxson

Julia Dempsey

“It’s a Halsey tee. I got it when I was fifteen and I saw halsey for the second time at the Vic in Chicago. When I saw her at the Vic, it was my first time at a concert that was general admission, and the Vic is so small and beautiful and personable. Little-me felt like the coolest person ever. Halsey had always been such an inspiration to me because she was the first celebrity in my life to openly say that she’s bisexual, and she was a role model for accepting my own bisexuality. I also just love her attitude. It feels like a very ‘me’ outfit. It reminds me of the time in my life when I got it, the friends I made, and how I expressed myself back then.” Photos By Chantal Vaca

MEET THE ARTISTS palestinian gypsy mixed with tennessee redneck. and just maybe one day, the hunter s. thompson of graphics. @ibn.said Pages: front and back cover

SAMMY AL-ASMAR

JIHEE LEE

I’ve never truly found a particular theme or goal with art. I draw when I can because creation is what makes life worth living. @ nemtriosk Page: 15

DYLAN STEER I am interested in visualizing how I feel about my home country and family as a foreigner. I provide topics such as otherness, longing, nostalgia, pleasure and struggle. I like to express how my thoughts are weaved with various sensory information and emotions by using various media. @jihee_lee_art Pages: 05-06

“They did surgery on a grape.” @sangfrwa_ Pages: 16-18

INDYIA ROBINSON

I’m a big fan of collecting things—sometimes I collect pens, sometimes I collect paper. Sometimes I put them together so I can add art to my collection. @etrdo Pages: 07-08

ELLE TERRADO

APOLONIA WIELGUS I like to write and piece found things together, sometimes at the same time. I enjoy listening, dogs in raincoats, and work consistently to dismantle the patriarchy. @adri.vaca Pages: 13-14

ADRIANA VACA

As an artist, I love experimenting with diﬀerent subject matters and mediums. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with printmaking and the various ways in which an image can be reproduced. My artwork explores the connections humans have with themselves, others, and nature. @apoloniart Pages: 21 and 35

I am art. I am you. @jo.5hua Page: 22

JOSHUA BARKER

MEET THE ARTISTS I’m a poet concerned with bridging the surreal and the mundane. Poetry to me is largely about displaying tensions between the self, our personas, and ideas which want to swallow us whole. Pages: 23-24

LUKE MISIAK

FELICIA PHILLIPS I’m a junior dual majoring in Painting and Graphic Design. I’m interested in several mediums involving my interest in the environment, mental health, and observational studies! @ckbix Pages: 25-26

CATHERINE BIXLER

I’m a graphic designer whose work focuses on color and humor. Everyone knowns laughter is the key to internal youth, so basically I’m just trying to build an army of immortal misfits to dominate the world with me. Pages: 39-42

ESTEFANIA LORET DE MOLA Proud mom of two small cats that love eating watermelon. Sometimes when I close one eye everything looks like it’s under a blue tinted filter while the other eye looks like it’s under a red tinted filter. Fully believes art saves lives. @_hivemind Page: 27

SKYLAR CHISM

I like to draw faces on index cards and sometimes I add embroidery to them. I don’t think about them very much when I’m doing them and most of them fall to the bottom of my backpack, but some of them turn out nice. Page: 45

RYAN MCGANNON I’ve been self proclaiming “wild card” lately. You can call me Bobby. @jamthrill Page: 31

ABIGAIL TAYLOR

I am from Memphis, Tennessee. For me, art is a gateway from the aggressiveness I experience on the track field. It gives me an opportunity to slow down, appreciate and make work in response to the things I see around me. I tend to express myself by illustrating. I find joy creating characters and admiring the works of others. Page: 36

it’s not that serious :)) @queenbean420 Page: 46

EMMA SIELAFF