-Jean Cocteau
In ancient times, prison art was quite literally eradicated from the schemes, exhibitions, and programs of the art industry. As the prison was considered only a place for punitive contemplation, the prisoners were not given any opportunity to connect with the outer world through their art. However, things have changed for the better, and society now understands that art helps isolated prisoners in self-reflection and provides them with a medium for creative exploration.
Through art, prisoners can redeem themselves and express their pain artistically and creatively. Artists like Donald Oliver Hooker (C-Note) use their skills and talent to connect with society despite the existence of physical limitations. They not only use art as a mediative practice but also as a tool for documenting time and accomplishments. Through their artwork, they try to remove the wall between them and their loved ones. In addition, art acts as a coping mechanism for prisoners who are experiencing emotional pain and loneliness and are confined behind bars. Artists will often create desolate artwork that makes the limbo world they experience daily visible to themselves or others.
Prison art is a crucial mechanism for change for prisoners who are part of the rehabilitation journey. Art will not only provide prisoners freedom of expression but will also allow them to achieve creative goals. These opportunities for learning and support can bring positive changes in a prisoner’s personality and mindset and can help them extricate themselves from their dark past. Artists can use prison as a space where they can develop creative and social skills. Through art, prisoners can remove their label of ex-offender and interact with society on an emotional level.
Adjusting to life inside a prison is not easy, particularly if an individual has been incarcerated for a long time. Prisoners face a great deal of stigma and other barriers while they are in a cell. Art not only helps prisoners in challenging this stigma and in changing public opinion but also makes them feel like a valuable part of the community. Through prison art events and exhibitions, artists can engage with cultural heritage and can challenge the prejudices and the stigma of incarceration.
A prominent name in the art industry is Donald Oliver Hooker (C-Note), who used art as a creative expression during his time in prison. He was born as an orphan in Los Angeles, California but was later adopted by a married African American couple. According to a 1999 court document, he was given a 35 years prison sentence for pulling out a knife to prevent a homeless person from following him.
He rose to prominence when he appeared in two televised interviews on KCOP-TV, which were part of investigative reporting, and later became famous as a prisoner artist when he performed the role of Money Mike in Birth of a Salesman. Birth of a Salesman was the opening act to the critically acclaimed play, Redemption in Our State of Blues, which was performed at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County, in front of well-known political personalities.
His works have either been recited, exhibited, performed, or sold from Alcatraz to Berlin. Some of his best works are Mprisond, which was exhibited at the CB-1 Guest Gallery, and Modern Girl, which was exhibited at Escaping Time prisoner art exhibition on Governor’s Island, New York City. Apart from these, the famous works of C-Note are Diana, Today We Are Sisters, Tears of the Mothers, Life Without the Possibility of Parole, Strange Fruit, American Negro: A Migrant Story, The Criminalization of Our American Civilization, The Untapped Potential of Prison Art, and The Myth of Intersectionality to Women of Color, to name a few.
On the charitable front, C-Note has donated his artworks to save lives and raise millions in public-private funding for criminal justice. Through his art and philanthropic initiatives, he has not only gained popularity across the globe but has also contributed to the welfare of society.