Using mixed reality as a framework, Fraught Imaginaries (2022—present) is an ongoing multi-disciplinary body of work centering on liberatory practices of play, which seek to disarm the architectures and systems of control within the prison industrial complex. This world-building project takes shape through my first hand investigation of the prison industrial supply chain and through personal relationships I have built with incarcerated individuals inside New York State Juvenile facilities—namely the Columbia and Brookwood Secure centers—and with adults at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility.
The Blocks
Modular cinder block wall structure. Cinder block forms are made from materials found inside New York State Juvenile Correctional facilites.
Each brick is 8” x 8” x 16”
-legal pad paper & Elmer’s glue
-envelopes & Elmer’s glue
-prison toothbrushes & resin
-playing cards & resin
-socks died with Kool-Aide
-gummy worms & resin
-paper towels & Elmers glue
-toilet paper & Elmers glue
-prison shoes & cement
-pill cups & Elmer’s glue
-Hot Cheetos & resin
-combs & resin
-tampons & Elmer’s glue
-number 2 pencils & Elmer’s glue
-top ramen & Elmer’s glue
-Jolly Ranchers & cement
dimensions vary
2024
Modular cinder block wall structure. Cinder block forms are made from materials found inside New York State Juvenile Correctional facilites.
Each brick is 8” x 8” x 16”
-legal pad paper & Elmer’s glue
-envelopes & Elmer’s glue
-prison toothbrushes & resin
-playing cards & resin
-socks died with Kool-Aide
-gummy worms & resin
-paper towels & Elmers glue
-toilet paper & Elmers glue
-prison shoes & cement
-pill cups & Elmer’s glue
-Hot Cheetos & resin
-combs & resin
-tampons & Elmer’s glue
-number 2 pencils & Elmer’s glue
-top ramen & Elmer’s glue
-Jolly Ranchers & cement
dimensions vary
2024
Tesseract
colored pencil on glassine, aluminum tamperproof bulletin display case
24” (L) x 2” (W) x 36” (H)
2024
colored pencil on glassine, aluminum tamperproof bulletin display case
24” (L) x 2” (W) x 36” (H)
2024
Assembly
Bob Barker plastic prison food trays wrapped in assorted materials. Listed in order from the top down:
Tray 1: American Flag print on cotton, resin, bird poop
Tray 2: legal pad paper, Elmer’s glue, melted crayons
Tray 3: stickers, Elmer’s glue
Tray 4: toilet paper, Kool-Aide, Jolly Ranchers, Elmer’s glue
Tray 5: Hot Cheetos, Elmer’s glue
Tray 6: religious fabric, resin
dimensions vary
2024
Bob Barker plastic prison food trays wrapped in assorted materials. Listed in order from the top down:
Tray 1: American Flag print on cotton, resin, bird poop
Tray 2: legal pad paper, Elmer’s glue, melted crayons
Tray 3: stickers, Elmer’s glue
Tray 4: toilet paper, Kool-Aide, Jolly Ranchers, Elmer’s glue
Tray 5: Hot Cheetos, Elmer’s glue
Tray 6: religious fabric, resin
dimensions vary
2024
Blind spot
etched blindspot mirror, marker
18” diamater
2024
etched blindspot mirror, marker
18” diamater
2024
Summer Sandpails
colored pencil, papier-mâché, kozo-shi paper over wood panel
14” (L) x 2” (W) x 11”(H)
2024
colored pencil, papier-mâché, kozo-shi paper over wood panel
14” (L) x 2” (W) x 11”(H)
2024
👁️ Spy
defunct security camera, resin, goggly eye, plushie fabric, Elmers glue
3.2” (L) x 3.2” (W) x 3.5”(H)
2024
defunct security camera, resin, goggly eye, plushie fabric, Elmers glue
3.2” (L) x 3.2” (W) x 3.5”(H)
2024
Soapy
industrial soap dispenser, stickers, hd tv monitor, media player, electrical components
1 minute looping video
5.75” (L) x 5.25” (W) x 11.25”(H)
2023
industrial soap dispenser, stickers, hd tv monitor, media player, electrical components
1 minute looping video
5.75” (L) x 5.25” (W) x 11.25”(H)
2023
Contraband Bag_2
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
12”(L) x 9”(W) x 3”(H)
2021
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
12”(L) x 9”(W) x 3”(H)
2021
Cinderblock_3
#2 pencils, Elmers school glue
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
#2 pencils, Elmers school glue
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
Real Metal Cuffs
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
11”(L) x 5.25” (W) x 11”(H)
2023
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
11”(L) x 5.25” (W) x 11”(H)
2023
First Keys
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil, shrink wrap
7”(L) x 1.5” (W) x 5”(H)
2024
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil, shrink wrap
7”(L) x 1.5” (W) x 5”(H)
2024
Bubble Puddle
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
8.7” (W) x 24.8” (H)
2023
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
8.7” (W) x 24.8” (H)
2023
Oh Yeah!?
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
24oz bottle
2023
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
24oz bottle
2023
JL Marcus Commisary Catalog
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
14.5”(L) x 17.5”(H)
2023
paper mâché, kozo-shi paper, colored pencil
14.5”(L) x 17.5”(H)
2023
Cinderblock_2
cement, books, paper mâché, colored pencil
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
(The books are recommended reading from the Columbia Collective.)
cement, books, paper mâché, colored pencil
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
(The books are recommended reading from the Columbia Collective.)
Contraband Bag_4
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
13”(L) 14” (W) x 14” (H)
2023
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
13”(L) 14” (W) x 14” (H)
2023
Cinderblock_3
#2 pencils, Elmers school glue
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
#2 pencils, Elmers school glue
16” (L) x 8” (W) x 8” (H)
2023
Contraband Bag_6
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
7.5”(L) x 4”(W) x 8.5”(H)
2023
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
7.5”(L) x 4”(W) x 8.5”(H)
2023
Contraband Bag_5
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
18”(L) x 14”(W) x 6.75”(H)
2023
clear bag, resin, contraband objects at the Columbia Secure Center for Girls
18”(L) x 14”(W) x 6.75”(H)
2023
A View
graphite on paper
12” x 18”
2022
graphite on paper
12” x 18”
2022