Artist Statement

My sustained investigation is focused on the effects incarceration has on humanity. After working at the Dismas House, a holistic reentry program for formerly incarcerated men, I saw how crippling incarceration is to the mind and body. Prison is a place that is supposed to be centered around rehabilitation, but instead, it is a place of abuse and inhumane treatment. As I continued my investigation, I found that charcoal and oil pastel were two mediums that enhanced the deteriorating tone that I was looking for. The smearing and layering effects both mediums gave allowed me to emphasize the crippling nature of incarceration.