Derived from “mug shots,” this body of work explores the relative frailty of the human condition in isolation and interrogates the mug shot as a platform for the perpetual captivity of the individual. Some individuals present themselves in defiance of their “captors,” while others are entirely consumed with their own intense set of circumstances; the varied expressions portrayed evoke images which are dynamic and often moving.

In exploring a variety of mediums, from what is typically seen as high-art to pure craft (wood burning, embroidery), the finality of the original image is disrupted and its referent liberated. The use of craft mediums, and their art historical connotations, aid in drawing a conceptual parallel which reflects the classist structure inherent in and which is perpetuated through the criminal justice system. These works are intended to critique the mug shot as a modern form of interminable incarceration and to create a space for dialogue about those often situated on the fringes on society and the humanity which struggles to be preserved in the criminal justice system.