Cellblock visions : prison art in America / by Phyllis Kornfeld.

By:

Kornfeld, Phyllis, 1938-

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: Princeton, NJ : Princeton University Press, 1997.ISBN:

0691029768

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

704.0692 20

LOC classification:

N6505

Contents:

Historical Foreword / Roger Cardinal -- Ch. 1. The Penitentiary as Art Studio. Safe and Unsafe Subject Matter. Materials. Space. Patrons and Enemies -- Ch. 2. Traditions. Popular Art. Tattoo and Related Arts. Styles. Interior Decoration. Objects -- Ch. 3. Paintings and Drawings. "A Variety of Color" Shadow. Faces of the Human Condition. Sin and Redemption.

Summary: Filled with quotes from men and women prisoners and Kornfeld's own anecdotes, Cellblock Visions shows how these artists, most of them having no previous training, turn to their work for a sense of self-worth, an opportunity to vent rage, or a way to find peace. We see how the artists deal with the cramped space, limited light, and narrow vistas of their prison studios, and how the security bans on many art supplies lead them to ingenious resourcefulness, as in extracting color from shampoo and weaving with cigarette wrappers. Kornfeld covers the traditional prison arts, such as soap carving and tattoo, and devotes a major section to painting, where we see miniatures depicting themes of alienation and escape, idyllic landscapes framed by bars, portraits of women living in a fantasy world, large canvasses filled with erotic and religious symbolism and violent action. The brief, vivid biographies of each artist portray that individual's experience of crime, prison, and art itself.

Holdings ( 1 )
Title notes ( 4 )

Holdings
Item type	Home library	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Two Week Loan	College Lane Learning Resources Centre Main Shelves	704.065927 KOR (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		4403782589

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Includes index.

Filled with quotes from men and women prisoners and Kornfeld's own anecdotes, Cellblock Visions shows how these artists, most of them having no previous training, turn to their work for a sense of self-worth, an opportunity to vent rage, or a way to find peace. We see how the artists deal with the cramped space, limited light, and narrow vistas of their prison studios, and how the security bans on many art supplies lead them to ingenious resourcefulness, as in extracting color from shampoo and weaving with cigarette wrappers. Kornfeld covers the traditional prison arts, such as soap carving and tattoo, and devotes a major section to painting, where we see miniatures depicting themes of alienation and escape, idyllic landscapes framed by bars, portraits of women living in a fantasy world, large canvasses filled with erotic and religious symbolism and violent action. The brief, vivid biographies of each artist portray that individual's experience of crime, prison, and art itself.