A look at the third iteration of my Cyntoia Brown portrait, she holds the booking placard that would normally state the name and date of arrest for the official mug shot. I exchanged that information for what felt more appropriate, the Talking Heads lyric “how did I get here,” primarily in an orange resembling the color of jumpsuits worn by the incarcerated.
Part of the tragedy of Cyntoia’s story is that she was tried for murder as an adult, despite the fact that she was only 16 years old, and sentenced to life in prison. I see this as a massive failure of systems – of jurisprudence, of civil rights advocacy, of criminal law – and while it doesn’t necessarily surprise me considering the track record of the courts and the federal government in general, it still sickens me. And it reeks of racism.
Raise your hand if you think it’s bullshit, too.
Another version of this portrait will be coming soon. This is part of my new body of work, Facing the Music.
D A M I E N J A M E S 