Play, Humor, & Whimsy
There exists an expectation that art produced inside prison must be inherently and overtly serious, yet many artists elect to imbue whimsy into their work. Incarceration is a somber reality, but that doesn’t mean that incarcerated artists are limited in the themes and feelings they can express. Humor, whimsy, and playfulness exist in so much of the work we see from inside, a testament to the moments of joy that can be found in creation.
The pieces included here touch on humor and play in multiple ways. Carsten’s dynamic paper sculpture “Stack-a-dot” is colorful and whimsical in its construction. “Sock Snake,” crocheted by Brian Stafford, answers the question “where do socks go when we lose them in the dryer?” — they end up in the belly of the Sock Snake. In “The Final Dindin,” artist Grumpy shows us his take on The Last Supper, smiley faces and all. Further, the playful nature of these pieces doesn’t mean they are devoid of artistic complexity. In his piece “Laundry Day,” artist J•cub experiments with watercolor, navigating a new medium for the first time. The result is a dynamic exploration of light and shadow — one that just happens to show what Batman looks like on laundry day.
Because there are people who see the incarcerated as “others,” it is necessary to clarify that misconception; that is truly not the case. Just as clerics, automakers, people living in homelessness, students, and professors are similar but different, so too are the incarcerated. There are sad or stand-offish people in each group just as there are intellectual, humorous, or silly ones. Art is an extension of the artist. Whatever personality he or she has will come out in his or her creations. So there is no reason to doubt that incarcerated artists are capable of “play, whimsy, or humor.”
By: Suzy Moffat and Martín Vargas
