People in prison drawing people who should be

February 17, 2016 1:49 PM

For over a year, we asked people in prison to paint or draw people we felt should be in prison–the CEOs of companies destroying our environment, economy, and society. Here are the results. Click on the images to see the crimes committed by both the companies and the artists.
posted by louche mustachio (18 comments total)

There's some seriously good talent doing time.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:51 PM on February 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

There's some seriously good talent doing time

This is a surprise to you?
posted by agregoli at 1:55 PM on February 17, 2016

No. It's just that one rarely gets to see it on display.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:03 PM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

I feel like this exact same activity was probably going on just prior to the French Revolution.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 2:07 PM on February 17, 2016

I feel like this exact same activity was probably going on just prior to the French Revolution.

That is one of the reasons I'm learning to knit.
posted by cynical pinnacle at 2:14 PM on February 17, 2016 [16 favorites]

Non-US citizens be wary. Since profits are earmarked for Sanders, that would make any purchase a contribution to the Sanders campaign, which is illegal for non-citizen.
posted by jpe at 2:35 PM on February 17, 2016

It's odd they add the prison ID numbers but not what state the inmate was in...perhaps so you can't easily look up a picture or info on the artist?
posted by agregoli at 2:56 PM on February 17, 2016

Creator of the site here. Thanks for posting this. Let me know if you have any other questions for myself or the artists (Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider).

It's odd they add the prison ID numbers but not what state the inmate was in...perhaps so you can't easily look up a picture or info on the artist?

Click on a photo then scroll down to the bottom of the list of crimes, you'll find full contact info for each artist.

Non-US citizens be wary. Since profits are earmarked for Sanders, that would make any purchase a contribution to the Sanders campaign, which is illegal for non-citizen.

It’s safe for non-citizens to buy the book. A book purchase is not a direct contribution to the Sanders campaign. We (the creators) will be donating the profits ourselves. By the way, non-citizens who are permanent residents can also donate directly to the Sanders campaign.
posted by sja at 3:24 PM on February 17, 2016 [11 favorites]

Is there an implication here that the people who drew the pictures shouldn't be in prison? Looks to me like most of them should.

I point to the use of italics on the word "should". For me that implies: "these drawings show the people that should be in prison... and the actual prisoners should not."

Is there an implied irony? Look at these poor people in prison, while these CEO's walk free. ...?

I think this would be more impactful if, say, children did the drawings of the CEO's.


That said, the CEO's records seem well documented and there are some nice drawings too.
posted by ecorrocio at 3:46 PM on February 17, 2016 [1 favorite]

Is there an implied irony? Look at these poor people in prison, while these CEO's walk free. ...?

Yes? The crimes committed by the artists pale in comparison to the evils of the companies, for which the CEOs are responsible. And yet the CEOs are free and respected.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:57 PM on February 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

Non-US citizens be wary. Since profits are earmarked for Sanders, that would make any purchase a contribution to the Sanders campaign, which is illegal for non-citizen

Thats not correct actually, permanent residents are allowed to contribute to political campaigns as well. Non-resident non-citizens cannot, however.
posted by thefoxgod at 4:21 PM on February 17, 2016

I find it extremely ironic that these poor people have lost years of their lives for crimes that PALE in comparison to the CEOs. I think it's very impact full, and it looks like a great book. I hope it sells well!
posted by WalkerWestridge at 7:11 PM on February 17, 2016

I find it kind of boring that the coordinators of the project (I'm hesitant to call them the artists, though they are clearly not so hesitant) seem to have chosen who the artists should draw. I'd hazard to guess it would be a more interesting, diverse list of people if the prisoners got to decide who they thought should be in prison and then drew them. I mean, I get that that wasn't the project's goal, but as it is, who cares? It's a list of corporate CEOs, portraits of whom probably appear in the Wall Street Journal with some regularity.

I also find the coordinators' artist statement baffling. How do portraits of a bunch of individuals remind us that corporations are not individuals? We learn nothing about the artists except a name, a serial number and a crime. And that's supposed to humanize them?

The whole thing seems to be well-intended, but the execution just strikes me as really bizarre and opposite to the intentions.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:19 PM on February 17, 2016 [8 favorites]

I like this, but I came in to say exactly what jacquilynne said; I'd like to see portraits of the people the artists want to draw.
posted by still bill at 2:39 AM on February 18, 2016 [5 favorites]

We (the creators) will be donating the profits ourselves.

1. There's two of you, so your profits can't exceed 5,400 (the campaign limit) on the 40,000 of max revenue. Does that math sound right?

2. You're soliciting funds from people and promising that some portion of those funds will go to a candidate for office. That seems to make you a conduit (or bundler), and that's not something you can just choose not to be. If funds are earmarked, then you have to comply with the conduit rules. My read of the rules is that the only way to avoid that is if you retained variance power, the power to pick a candidate to donate to.
posted by jpe at 5:34 AM on February 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

BTW, it's the Sanders campaign that will have egg on its face if you screw this up. Have you run this by the campaign? I'd be happy to do so; that would probably be a quick way to resolve the factual issue as to whether you're contribution bundlers.
posted by jpe at 10:24 AM on February 18, 2016

jpe, those are good concerns, however I believe we're covered. It's best not to discuss legal matters in a public forum. Please email [e-mail] if you want to know more about about the specifics.
posted by sja at 12:39 PM on February 18, 2016

And where's Jamie Dimon?

Here.

I'd be more impressed if each art work was accompanied by the specific crimes of said CEOs.

Scroll down. :)
posted by sja at 10:49 PM on February 18, 2016