Let’s get into it. The past two weeks have consisted of a lot of reading and reaching (or trying to) out to people. Additionally, we’ve focussed the project on queer identities within prison art. Since doing so, the project is really starting to be something I can picture in my mind.
Through this work, I’ve been fortunate to be able to admire pieces by these artists and in doing so, have come to appreciate their work that much more. Learning about the process and means of making art in prison has lead me to examine my own privilege in the world of art. Privilege in access to materials, privilege in time to create, and privilege in the environments in which I’m able to create. The work I’ve been doing has really made me aware of the stratification in how art is made and presented to the world. Social identities largely influence art production and art exposure. Within prison, access to certain materials is already something the artists contend with, but this is further made complicated and difficult depending on the social identities of those artists as well as socioeconomic position in prison. The production of art is also influenced by the environment it can be made in and within prison, there aren’t always safe spaces for those with marginalized identities to exist let alone create self-expressive art.
Art within the carceral system plainly lays out the privilege and power allotted to few and how power structures impact artistic expression. That’s what the project aims to unpack: the interconnectedness of social identities, policing, the carceral system, PCAP itself, and artistic endeavors. This project will not only describe and explain current and past structures, but will aim to have people question how these agents influence their own lives. Getting to know the artists behind the pieces I’ve selected to discuss in the project is something I look forward to in the coming days and weeks. I am excited to learn more, and learn more specifically in reference to my own queer identity as I continue to do work for this project.