Marking Time
According to Webster’s Dictionary, time is defined as “a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future.” In other words, shit that happened yesterday and is going on to today, will keep on going even after tomorrow.
When defined by someone who is incarcerated, it’s a lot simpler. Time is the number of years one must complete before receiving parole (or time served) after a criminal conviction. “Inching along, snail-like” would be too fast for how long this time takes to pass by.
So what do people do while serving time? In many cases, unimaginable, sometimes devious, monotonous things that one would not do if he or she were not locked up. Wow, that describes some people I’ve seen out here. Guess prison isn’t limited to steel bars, concertina wire, and substances that pass for food. However, if you’re an incarcerated ARTIST your continuum may be measured by thinking art, doing art, and being art. Yep, artists “be” art. I mean, how can anyone paint TIME? If you think it’s easy, try it!
Incarcerated artists, with ink, lead, or paint on paper, can paint the wind! They can paint speed, fear, anger, and metal. You see these “invisible“ but very real elements in pieces created by more advanced artists. Bruce Lee said: “Be water, my friend.” Well, artists “be” the art they create. There is “hope” in Albert Krakosky III’s excellent work of an old man who’s TIME is perhaps nearing the end and is meticulously making rosaries. Is this an example of TIME passing? Or passing TIME? Is that his penance? Who can paint that? Artists inside can!
What about Marte’nez Sr.’s beautiful self portrait? The composition of monotones and color separated by steel bars are battling for peaceful attention in his mind. As it should be in ours. Is that a dream he’s painted? Of him teaching his son, grandson, to play chess more carefully? Schooling through a painting while he’s locked up? Is it a dream of the future, or a past that he’s painted? It doesn’t matter how one interprets it, he’s painted TIME.
And you cannot look at Montney’s triptych and not see TIME in continuity. The darkest one is his past, his dark and angry past of a teenager. The fading into lighter darks of the second piece is his breathing more calmly, as he starts to realize that there is not just darkness in his life. And he grows up … into an explosion of colorful energy that enables the man to be free! These are the very real creations of TIME, for an incarcerated artist. As you walk around the gallery, see if you can find three other examples of TIME.
By: Martín Vargas
