Graphite & Ink
The pencil and the pen are humble and ubiquitous tools that say a surprising amount about what it means to make art in prison. Art supplies inside are valuable commodities. For one, they are expensive. For another, it takes six to nine months from the order date before these supplies are eventually delivered into a waiting artist’s hands. Add to that the fact that many traditional mediums, like oil-based acrylic paints, are impermissible in prisons because they are construed as security risks, and the appeal of graphite and ink become clear. Indeed, in light of these limitations, pen and pencil are both exceptionally accessible and flexible mediums and accommodate all levels of artistic experience. They are the medium of choice for new artists and veteran virtuosi alike.
We choose to feature graphite and ink in this exhibition to showcase artists that are able to create extraordinary art out of the mundane, as well as to honor the tenacity of artists just beginning their artistic forays in prison. In highlighting graphite and ink, we pay special attention to the artists that have begun and continue their artistic careers in solitary confinement, where access to art supplies are severely curtailed. Artists in solitary confinement are permitted dull golf pencils, “seg pens,” and secondhand sheets of paper that originally started their lives as daily institutional itineraries, which are passed out to prisoners at the start of every day. These are artists who have limited recourse to visual culture but, through their imaginations, paper, and pen, continue to persevere in their artistry against these extraordinary odds.
By: Vitalis Im
