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THE PRISON SYSTEM CONTROLS MANIFOLD ASPECTS OF THE BODY:

 

 ITS GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, ITS MOVEMENT AND SELF-EXPRESSION.

ITS CONNECTION WITH OTHERS AND THE COMMUNION OF SHARED EXPERIENCE.

THE FULFILLMENT OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: ACCESS TO FOOD, FRESH AIR, BODILY FUNCTIONS, AND PHYSICAL TOUCH.

 

IN A SPACE SUCH AS THIS ONE, THAT SURVEILS AND CONTROLS IN NEAR-TOTALITY, TATTOOING TAKES ON POTENT MEANINGS.  IT BECOMES A WAY TO ASSERT OWNERSHIP OVER ONESELF- A FORM OF EXPRESSION THAT THE STATE MAY PUNISH, BUT CANNOT TAKE AWAY.

 

THE NARRATORS IN THIS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT ALL POSSESS THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE OF TATTOOING AND THE PRISON SYSTEM.  SOME LEARNED TO TATTOO INSIDE, SOME TATTOOED THEMSELVES.  SOME DESCRIBE POLICE PROFILING OF THEIR TATTOOS, OTHERS LIVED LIVES AS TATTOO ARTISTS ONLY WHILE INCARCERATED, FACING INDUSTRY DISCRIMINATION IN THE FREE WORLD UPON THEIR RELEASE.  EACH SPEAKS TO THE MEANINGS THEY MADE OF TATTOOING.

 
Oral history provides us with a chance to bear witness. The oral histories in this project include descriptions of interpersonal and state violence, including childhood abuse, murder, and transphobia, as well as drug use and overdose.  Please take care when listening.  The audio pieces range from 10-30 minutes each. I invite you to engage in a slow, intentional hearing, bearing in mind that while we have grown used to short, easily digestible media in the free world, prison time functions much differently.
 
 
Image description: a person's arm, wearing two tattoos. One is of old English text reading "self defense." Beneath the text is a cherub with a hammer and sickle, and a sprig of greenery.

Chance

Chance is a tattooer, screen printer and prison abolitionist based in Oakland, California. You can find Chance on Instagram: @Last_Chance_Tattoos

ANDRES

Andres Norwood is an Afro-Latino photographer and artist from Los Angeles, California who is currently based in New York City. His art centers around the promotion of diverse cultures, perspectives, and self-expression to portray an intentional message into the world about the people who live within it. His vision focuses on creating radiant and professional photographs along with diversifying the industry and creating more opportunities for BIPOC people.

Image description: An Afro-Latino man wearing a black beanie, black t-shirt and cargo pants, and army green quilted vest stands on a city street with his hands folded. He looks straight at the camera.
Image description: a collage of six polaroids, each of a white man's face with masks obscuring various sections of his face. One mask is black with teeth printed on it. Tattoos are visible on his neck.

BERNIE

Bernie Lieving is a public health social worker currently working as a consultant and Statewide Overdose Prevention Education Coordinator on New Mexico’s various federal grants within the Behavioral Health Services Division, Office of Substance Abuse Prevention. His areas of professional expertise include health and social services program development, grant writing, legislative advocacy, social work education, harm reduction, overdose prevention and response education, prisoner reentry, community-based capacity building, and the provision of direct services to marginalized populations. Bernie is the principal of The Lieving Group, LLC.

CARLOS

Carlos Truan is 47 years old. He started tattooing in 1998. He lives in Austin, Texas with his partner and two children, and owns a tattoo shop on the East side called Communion with three other people, typically having 1 to 2 guests per month. Carlos says, “the area the shop is located is really cute with the best coffee shops and the best vegan food.”  He is an advocate for recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.

Image description: a Chicano man sits, looking into the camera, with trees and a fence railing behind him. He has on a white t-shirt with a globe graphic on it, a mustache, short hair, and is heavily tattooed.
Image description: A Black trans woman in a black tank top and black medical gloves sets up a tattoo machine. Her arms are covered in tattoos. She is smiling widely. Behind her is a tattoo studio with artwork on the walls and plants on a ledge.

FAITH

Faith Phillips is a tattoo artist and founder of Chicago’s first Black trans woman owned tattoo shop, Wish Me Luck.  Her work can be found via Instagram @americanflesh.

JOE EZEKIEL

Image description: A head and shoulders portrait of a white man with a long dark beard, squinting into the camera. He is wearing a beanie and glasses that throw a shadow over his eyes.