Upon entering the exhibition, I was for a moment in awe at what looked like beautiful pieces of artwork that had intricate designs on them. However, I knew beforehand and as the artist discussed the story of the work, that there was pain in these beautiful pieces, and the intricate details told a heart wrenching story.
The first work that got my attention was, “Thank God I’m Home said Marcel Brown, 2019”, which depicted the words of Marcel Brown to Julie Green, along with the meal of corned beef that Brown had upon returning home. I was attracted at first, because we both shared the same first name. In addition, I noticed that when you look closer to the work you can clearly make out just how many revisions were made, as was mentioned in the description. These revisions just show how imperative it was for Green to efficiently portray Brown’s story. Marcel was 18 years old when he was wrongfully accused of murder. He would go on to spend 10 grueling years in prison before the prosecutor in this case dismissed the charges, and in 2018, Brown was released. Marcel’s first meal at his mother’s home was a corned beef sandwich, at the center of the artwork this is displayed. In the background is the top of one of the buildings at Northwestern University, the college whose colors Brown and a fellow exonerated inmate had taken pictures in, as they left the courthouse.
The message I got from this piece is that even at their lowest moments, faith is a resounding ray of light for some individuals. I am not religious however, I can appreciate and understand how helpful and encouraging it is to believe and trust in a higher power to be with you or get you out of tough situations. When he was free Marcel thanked God, and I have no doubt that his religious beliefs were one of the few things keeping him going through those 10 years.
The second work that caught my eye was the “Whopper, Fries, and Then 2020” which depicted the first meal Juan Melendez had once he was exonerated. What caught my attention about this piece was the sunflowers, the genius color scheme of the work, and also the fact that it was a meal from a fast food place I have worked at. This artwork left me with questions, especially after reading the text, “17 year on death row. 1st meal on the outside, then threw up.”
How nerve wracking, and daunting must it be knowing that at any time over the course of 17 years, you could die? That another human being, or a group of human beings can decide that this will be the day you no longer live? You did nothing wrong. After 17 years, they realize what you have known for almost 2 decades. How many others were in the same position, but died or are still in prison because the truth never came to light?
I think it’s very concerning and scary how arrogant humanity is. Wrong is wrong, but what gives any of us the right to end another’s life? Shouldn’t those falsely accusing others be dealt a similar hand? But then again, why even feed into humanity’s hunger for self destruction even more. The pot is calling the kettle black. The inherently flawed are wrongfully persecuting others just because they happened to see part of/assume their wrongdoings. Melendez threw up his first meal. A meal he probably ate before his sentencing frequently, now had the chance to eat it again and to submerge himself in the nostalgia, only to regurgitate it. I interpret this as s ort of like a reality slap to the face. “All that glitters isn’t gold.” It’s as if he’s free physically, but internally he is still imprisoned. He is somewhat stuck in the time that he was sentenced, but the world has moved on without him. It’s like stepping out of a time machine and having to adjust/re-learn how to navigate yourself through life.
Green’s work is an informative and astonishing form of activism.
“In no other form of society in history has there been such a concentration of images, such a density of visual messages.”
“One may remember or forget these messages but briefly one takes them in, and for a moment they stimulate the imagination by way of either memory or expectations.”
“Publicity images also belong to the moment… Yet they never speak of the present. Often they refer to the past and always they speak of the future.”
John Berger Ch7. Ways of Seeing
I think that these quotes from Berger, perfectly describe what is being done by Green. The artwork that’s part of her collection is in a way, the beautiful tragedy of our legal system. How fractured our systems have become, so much so, that there’s as much injustice being served as there is justice. The work invites you into just imagining the up’s and down’s of emotions each individual must have gone through. Their stories of hardship being summarized into a depiction of the one dish they had before they passed or when they were exonerated. In a way, Julie Green’s series can give us insight into our future. The works can be part of a catalyst, causing change to occur within our nation and even the world. Or they can just be part of the telling of our past and foreshadowing of where we will always continue to be when it comes to wrongful convictions.
My selfie is an appreciation post for major food organizations that are taking the initiative in supporting activists that are part of the BLM, the movement in its entirety and also the black community. I know that a large portion of the black community winds up in jail/prison within their lifetimes. Incarceration is a circumstance associated with my community and sadly, a cycle that we often times repeat. Whether it be consciously or unconsciously. I think it's very admirable of these companies to align themselves with my community and being part of encouraging our efforts to be heard by a society that has been conditioned to tune us out no matter what we go through.
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