Mug Shots
This a 4″x6″ mixed media painting on paper covered canvas. The sides are red and are.75″ deep. Available HERE
I stumbled across this website documenting mug shots of unknown people of New Orleans during the early 20th century and I was intrigued. The faces that looked out at me were haunting. Ghosts form the past saying
‘Hey, I was here before you. Look at me’.
It was really moving and I wondered who these people were. I always think these thoughts when I look at old photos but these really struck me because they were not taken of these people in their finest hour. You can see that in their eyes. It is like they are saying
‘See me, remember me, but not like this, not now, not here, not for this. Remember me for who I really am but do remember me.
So I painted one. She is nameless and her offense is unrecorded. Most likely petty. Reasons for arrest were often vague even if they were written down. ‘Immoral purposes’, ‘huckstering’, ‘flim-flam’ even.
Perhaps my way of honoring her. I am not sure yet. I am torn about leaving the number painting on the left hand corner. For some reason I feel that this is disrespectful to her, something that she would rather forget.
