Michigan prisoners make statement through art

"In memory of: Sabrina Williams, Kathy Fenzel, Darlene Lake, Debra Wyatt. These women, these lovely human beings died in prison because their medical emergencies were not treated as such by prison heathcare officials. That's a damn shame!"

This startling and eye-opening proclamation is only a part of "The Long Journey" a collage created by artist Tracy Neal, that appears in the Fourth Annual Michigan Prisoner Art Exhibit. The exhibition, which opened Tuesday, will run through Feb. 24.

Neal glued two of her journals to the collage, kept throughout her eight-year incarceration, as well as carefully chosen scraps of prison manuals, including the chilling mandates for a body cavity search.

DHANI JONES/Daily Art senior Carie Arseneau views a display at the Prison Art 99 gallery in Rackham.

"The Long Journey" is not the only piece in the show that offers a rare and desperately needed window into the environment behind bars. A colored pencil drawing by Alloysius Cross-Bay presents an outsider's view of a man inside his cell, the steel grating overwhelming in the foreground. Similarly, Marice Scott's "The Yard 1" and "The Yard 2" portray the desolate feeling of a prison yard and the yearning to find a way out.

Though the grim reality of life on the inside is an important theme in the show, the majority of the works focus on religious, cultural, and natural motifs. African, Latino/a, and Native American icons are ever-present.

Among the most innovative are Richard Phillips' "Southside," a beautiful watercolor depicting black women and children beside a crumbling building. Jesús Hernández's jubilant "El Abuelo (Grandfather)" and "Un porque, una razón para no olvidar (A Reason for Not Forgetting)" provide a colorful, textured representation of his Cuban heritage.

Much of the cultural imagery is combined with religious beliefs, such as the reinterpretation of the Catholic mother and child with black figures in Jerry (Salim) Moore's "Black Madonna."

"Nauhatl Vision" by Michael Elliot conjures up a pre-Catholic Mexico, while Martin Vargas chose a more traditional interpretation of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Mark Killingsworth's collection of Biblically-inspired drawings most aptly represent the fervor of religious faith that is present in many of the works, with images of Christ mixed with self-portrait, showing his devotion.

Landscapes and nature-themed pieces include such standouts as "Country Sunset," a delicate watercolor by Brent Harding, and "Natural Bonsai," a landscape relieve formed of acrylic and molding paste by Rod Strelau.

One of the most surprising successes is the array of portraiture exhibited. Considering that most of it was done from imagination, the talent level is striking. Fred Hodges' portrait of a grinning woman, "Chillin'," Monty Wade's "Old Tyme Religion; Country Preacher, 1950's Era," and Christopher Dorch's "The Hope of Soul" all present remarkable skill with limited resources.

The lack of supplies in prison, as well as restrictions on the materials for security reasons renders the practice of art difficult. Inmates resort to using available resources, exemplified by Rick Ward's "My Mother's Blood," created with instant coffee. Twenty-two zines, the product of Carol Morris' collage workshop in the Florence Crane Correctional Facility, showcased the originality of women inmates who used available collage materials to express themselves.

Even more astounding was the talk at the opening reception by guest speaker Hershell Turner, the full-time art director at Ionia Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in which some of his students are locked up 23 out of 24 hours a day, including during the artistic instruction period.

Hershell related the story of one prisoner who went from novice to promising in just six weeks. Hershell was incredulous, so he hung the young man's three successive attempts on the board. The man approached Hershell and told him he needed the pieces back to show his mother After she had accused him of not being worth anything, he wanted to prove to her what he was capable of.

Stories like Hershell's are what makes the University's Prison Creative Arts Project a worthwhile endeavor. More than reminding us of the reality of prison life, the works awaken us to it's transitory nature; many of the inmates will remain in prison temporarily, but the effect of their art will last indefinitely.

02-12-99