Prison art

Prison art is art that is created by persons who are imprisoned.[1]

Prison art is unique in several ways. Due to the low social status of prisoners, art made by prisoners has not historically been well-respected.[2][3] The art, much like the prisoners themselves, is often subject to controls.[4][5] Art made by prisoners is sometimes valued,[6] or conversely sometimes sought to be actively destroyed.[7] Prisoners often lack common art supplies, and have been known to fashion supplies from materials at hand such as candy or instant coffee.[8]

Examples of prison art

  • Painting by Bassel Khartabil June 17, 2015, Damascus Central Jail "An attempt to draw a stereotype. This is the stereotype I have in mind for the deformed souls, I have to deal with every day at jail. There are a lot of them."
    Painting by Bassel Khartabil June 17, 2015, Damascus Central Jail "An attempt to draw a stereotype. This is the stereotype I have in mind for the deformed souls, I have to deal with every day at jail. There are a lot of them."
  • Incarceration Nation, 2017, by Donald "C-Note" Hooker
    Incarceration Nation, 2017, by Donald "C-Note" Hooker
  • Pencil drawing from a German Prisoner of war on a wall in Camp Beale, California. Note the wedding ring.
    Pencil drawing from a German Prisoner of war on a wall in Camp Beale, California. Note the wedding ring.
  • Ferris Wheel, toothpick art made by a San Quentin prison inmate, Musée Mécanique, San Francisco California
    Ferris Wheel, toothpick art made by a San Quentin prison inmate, Musée Mécanique, San Francisco California
  • Paintings created by child prisoners on the wall of the prison building in Auschwitz II Birkenau. Image depicts a school.
    Paintings created by child prisoners on the wall of the prison building in Auschwitz II Birkenau. Image depicts a school.
  • A Pomeranian Prison Camp, 1941 Louis Mitelle. A view down a gangway in a hut in a POW camp. Dejected prisoners in military uniform sit on the bunks which are three levels high and laundry hangs from the beams above. On the floor a group of prisoners sit huddled together in a group.
    A Pomeranian Prison Camp, 1941 Louis Mitelle. A view down a gangway in a hut in a POW camp. Dejected prisoners in military uniform sit on the bunks which are three levels high and laundry hangs from the beams above. On the floor a group of prisoners sit huddled together in a group.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prison art.

References

  1. ^ Steinhauer, Jillian (2019-12-12). "Prison Art, a Dark Place Where the Muse Never Leaves". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  2. ^ Greenberger, Alex (2020-07-08). "Incarcerated Artists Are Making Some of Today's Most Important Art. A Powerful New Book Explains Why". ARTnews.com. Archived from the original on 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  3. ^ Sheets, Hilarie M. (2022-09-22). "From Prison to the Art Gallery". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-01-09. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  4. ^ Rosenberg, Carol (2023-02-07). "Pentagon Lifts Trump-Era Ban on Release of Guantánamo Prisoners' Art". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  5. ^ Boyette, Chris (2015-01-23). "Auschwitz's forbidden art". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  6. ^ Aitken, Peter (2022-11-03). "Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy's clown painting sells for $10k at spooky auction". FOXBusiness. Archived from the original on 2023-01-11. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  7. ^ "SERIAL KILLER'S PAINTINGS TO BE BURNED IN BONFIRE". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  8. ^ Cremin, Geraldine. "The death row inmates who make art". www.bbc.com. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
Stub icon

This art-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This prison-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.