1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:11,179 my name is Lavar Monroe I'm an artist in 2 00:00:07,470 --> 00:00:14,549 area 919 I was never in prison but I 3 00:00:11,179 --> 00:00:16,710 know a lot of people who have been in 4 00:00:14,549 --> 00:00:18,990 prison I've always had an interest for 5 00:00:16,710 --> 00:00:22,320 that space I did a lot of research on it 6 00:00:18,990 --> 00:00:24,480 so I'm sourcing from documentaries I'm 7 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,690 starting from readings both about the 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:30,390 prison but also about notions of 9 00:00:26,690 --> 00:00:32,099 survival notions of heroism the hero 10 00:00:30,390 --> 00:00:38,390 with the hero means that I was 11 00:00:32,099 --> 00:00:43,379 interested in making these pink objects 12 00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:45,839 that were in many ways Pollock and in 13 00:00:43,379 --> 00:00:48,989 many ways spoke about the homoerotic 14 00:00:45,839 --> 00:00:52,800 space within the prison for me the 15 00:00:48,989 --> 00:00:55,649 prison became the epitome of the hero's 16 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:58,379 journey and in that sense I began 17 00:00:55,649 --> 00:01:00,569 thinking and researching writings of 18 00:00:58,379 --> 00:01:02,489 Joseph Campbell who was an 19 00:01:00,569 --> 00:01:04,860 anthropologist one instance of that 20 00:01:02,489 --> 00:01:07,409 journey was the belly of the beast and 21 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:09,149 for me the person became that place and 22 00:01:07,409 --> 00:01:12,750 with those torrents I was also 23 00:01:09,149 --> 00:01:15,829 interested in the idea of the 24 00:01:12,750 --> 00:01:18,659 celebratory nature of the after prison 25 00:01:15,829 --> 00:01:22,049 experience and with that I was thinking 26 00:01:18,659 --> 00:01:24,689 about in many park last societies or 27 00:01:22,049 --> 00:01:26,430 there is many people who go through the 28 00:01:24,689 --> 00:01:28,380 prison tenure when they come out they 29 00:01:26,430 --> 00:01:31,049 are celebrated all these drones come 30 00:01:28,380 --> 00:01:33,869 from objects so the first thing that is 31 00:01:31,049 --> 00:01:35,520 made is the actual shank and the shank 32 00:01:33,869 --> 00:01:37,740 for me serves nearly like a still life 33 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:40,229 and I would draw from that or while I 34 00:01:37,740 --> 00:01:42,119 draw from that I would also make it 35 00:01:40,229 --> 00:01:44,250 nelly educational so a lot of the 36 00:01:42,119 --> 00:01:47,100 writings kind of tell you how these 37 00:01:44,250 --> 00:01:49,619 objects are made and another element of 38 00:01:47,100 --> 00:01:51,000 the writing is a narrative Adam like it 39 00:01:49,619 --> 00:01:53,250 kind of speaks about the menacing 40 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:57,420 ability of such an object so there's a 41 00:01:53,250 --> 00:01:59,310 lot of horror text juxtaposed with humor 42 00:01:57,420 --> 00:02:02,249 i'm using my daughter's band-aids i'm 43 00:01:59,310 --> 00:02:04,950 using her stickers i'm using staples i'm 44 00:02:02,249 --> 00:02:07,439 using thread and needles they are all 45 00:02:04,950 --> 00:02:10,770 very playful and you wouldn't think 46 00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:13,350 about it as nothing bigger than that i'm 47 00:02:10,770 --> 00:02:15,900 sewing i'm thinking about the stitch 48 00:02:13,350 --> 00:02:17,310 when somebody stop the stitch together 49 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:20,280 i'm thinking about the staples it's a 50 00:02:17,310 --> 00:02:22,050 really bad really really bad injury so 51 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,130 we have to staple it together I'm 52 00:02:22,050 --> 00:02:24,690 thinking about that I'm cutting the 53 00:02:23,130 --> 00:02:27,020 paper so I'm thinking about the cut off 54 00:02:24,690 --> 00:02:27,020 the blade