Gallery Response

    

     For the past three years until her recent death, Julie Green (1961– 2021) had been asking wrongfully convicted persons about their “first meals” upon their release from prison, painting their responses for her series by the same name. With colorfully painted details of food, such as oranges, burgers and fries, and pizza, 12 works from the series featured in this exhibition humanize and personalize the shocking statistics around wrongful convictions in the U.S.

 It was very shocking to me the story of every person behind those paintings that were actually wrongfully convicted for many years. It is very hard to put myself in their positions and I can imagine how hard it was for every single person that went through that. However, I really liked and enjoyed the exhibition. All of the works presented were truly amazing and very creative. In fact, I chose Kristine Bunch and Marcel Brown not just because of how amazing their work looks but also because of their story behind it. 

In 2018, Green began working on a related project, First Meal, who saw them paint vibrant depictions of the meals eaten by exonerated inmates upon their release from prison. The series began with the first post-prison meal of Kristine Bunch, who was incarcerated for 17 years after being wrongfully convicted of murdering her 3-year-old son. She opted for “scallops, cheese grits, hummus, vegetables and champagne,” when she asked for a colorful plate at a restaurant that served no seafood the chef heard her story and specially made her the meal. 

On the other hand, in 2008, 18-year-old Marcel Brown was arrested for a murder he did not commit. After being coerced into making false, inculpatory statements, he was wrongfully convicted and sentenced, serving nearly a decade in prison before he was exonerated. On July 18, 2018, exoneration allowed Marcel to enjoy a corned beef sandwich on his mother's house and that's what he painted for his collaboration with the Center on Wrongful Convictions and Julie Green. 

The story behind every plate, the work created and the fact that Julie created this it's amazing. It's very shocking to know the story of the people who were convicted and spend years of their lives in prison for things they didn't do. Her idea to me is very interesting because people get to know the story and you get to appreciate what you eat everyday even more. Can see myself or any family member go through this, it has to be a very difficult experience and having someone like Greene that actually creates this idea of showing every person's first meal when they are back home it's really amazing. People I guess don't start to appreciate what they have until you get to know stories like this. I feel more grateful for every plate I get to eat and the time I spend with my family as well.

On the other hand, I believe in social justice. Social justice is the assertion of the ideal that all humans should have the same rights and opportunities. From access to healthcare to safe spaces to live, social justice aims to level the playing field and eliminate discrimination. Till this day there are many people going through discriminations, and they get sent to prison for things they have not committed.

This is considered to be an activist work since Greene is fighting for a change in society by telling these peoples stories and actually exposing their work that has a meaningful story behind it. However, after having the opportunity of seeing these works, I felt inspired not just because of the works created but because of the story. So, I decided to go out and enjoy one of my favorite dishes. I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to eat the things that I like every day and I feel happy because of that. I also get to spend time with loved ones and enjoy life every day, so I really admire those who had to spend years of their life in prison without seeing their families and eating the things they like.