A prison is not only a cage for the body, but also the mind; the oppressive surroundings are designed to crush an individuals spirit, making them a more malleable product to control.
Whereas the art world outside of a prison restricts an artist, forcing them to create products whose only purpose is sale, a prisoner is free from monetary constraints, which allows them to create art for art's sake. Here are 9 examples of awesome prison art.
(thanks Danny)
2 comment(s):
They also have plenty of time, and being restricted in their options for materials, inmates get creative. I worked for 8 months as a corrections officer (prison guard) and was amazed at some of the talent. More than one inmate never realized she had talent until prison -- and then went on to take college classes in graphic design, web development, etc. Art can be a powerful force for good.
I too worked as a Detention Officer for our Sheriff's Department. One day I stumbled upon one of our B-3 inmates (pedophile tank)sculpting four inch tall dinosaurs out of toilet paper. It was quite amazing. When I did my next round he had a veritable Jurassic Park. On my third round, he informed me he needed to do No.2 and asked for more toilet paper. Unfortunately, the rule was one roll every three days. His diplodocus got some natural coloring.
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