25 of Prison Art's Most Beautiful Women

For Women History Month we examine 25 of Prison Art's most beautiful women created by prison artists.

In the United States there were no prisons prior to the writing of the US Constitution in 1789. Punishment for serious crimes included banishment from the community; public pillory, which was detention in a wood device that held the head and hands by closing around the neck and wrists; and corporal punishment, which was designed to disfigure the offender using measures such as whipping, branding, or slicing off the body part thought to be responsible for the crime. The most serious crimes were punishable by death.

The first prison in the United States was built in Philadelphia in 1790. Established by the nonviolent Quakers as an alternative to capital punishment, prison was originally intended to be a progressive setting for hard work, reflection, self-examination, and spiritual guidance. However, by the 1820s, prison had become the punishment most feared by criminal defendants.

Federal, state, and local governments were free to confine convicts and accused criminals in the most inhumane of conditions. A convict was considered a slave of the state, with no rights other than to be kept alive. Ratified into the US Constitution in 1865, the 13th Amendment wrote into the governance of the United States, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The 13th Amendment ratified slavery in the United States for persons convicted of crimes.

In 1485, Sandro Botticelli painted Nascita di Venere (The Birth of Venus). Botticelli's Venus and his other works, such as Primavera, marked a break from the Church's stranglehold on human references in art solely out of religiosity. From then on, now the human form would be admired for its remarkable and sensuous design.

In 1503, Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa; 1665, Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Johannes Vermeer; 1768, The Lady with the Veil, Alexander Roslin; 1872, Veronica Veronese, Gabriel Charles Rossetti; and in 1965, M-Maybe, by Roy Lichtenstein; in the 600-year history of Western art, prison artists take a backseat to nobody. Here are 25 reasons why.

#1 Colored Girl

Colored Girl (2009), Wax on paper, is a work by California prison artist C-Note. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://prints.darealprisonart.com/featured/colored-girl-donald-c-note-hooker.html]

Darealprisonart is the largest multimedia source of prisoner news and art across multiple Web platforms. It is also the seller of over 10,000 art print products of Prison Art; the most influential Art movement in the United States.

A highly admired work within the African American community, Colored Girl is a drawing of a famous African American celebrity the prison artist has refused to reveal. Colored Girl Highlighted is a print version to this original.

[https://prints.darealprisonart.com/featured/colored-girl-highlighted-donald-c-note-hooker.html]

In 2015 he created his Andy Warhol inspired work Colored Girl Warholed. It is fashioned after Warhol's Four Marilyns. Prints of Colored Girl Warholed went on sale in the spring of 2015.

[https://prints.darealprisonart.com/featured/colored-girl-warholed-donald-c-note-hooker.html]

In the fall of 2015, the auction house Christie's sold Warhol's Four Marilyns for $36 million.

In the winter of 2021, Fine Art and Real Estate Broker, Anna D. Smith curated C-Note's Colored Girl Warholed as an outdoor art exhibition, Anna D. Smith's 'Look Up!' 2 Hope & Beauty Billboard Art Exhibition and Art Sale, Dec 27 - Jan 31, 2022.

A new variant of the Coronavirus, Omicron, had become too virulent for a retail art sale inside of Santana Row. The Billboard art installation served as an entrance into Santana Row.

Tech capital, Silicon Valley's, Santana Row is the home to premiere restaurants, residential, and retail. It allowed for one-million Billboard Art Exhibition daily views. Google, Facebook, and Apple workers live in Santana Row. Tesla has a showroom in Santana Row, and Sports teams stay at the Valencia Hotel in Santana Row.

The following is an aerial droning of the event, put into a four minute film short.

#2 Paula Picassa

Paula Picassa (2021), Ink on paper is a work by California prison artist C-Note. Published by IN2's Hub Tellit.

[https://hubs.tellitapp.com/C-Note/post/95175150]

Paula Picassa was created as a donation to Art for Redemption. It is a rendition of makeup artist Kabuki's fashion editorial in the September 2015 issue of Harper's Bazaar. Kabuki's editorial is called "Picasso's women." C-Note's drawing is based on Kabuki's selection of Picasso's 1938 work Bust of a woman.

Art for Redemption is a network of individuals seeking to connect and bridge friends, families, Prison Administrators, and other interested parties to create pathways of success from the "inside out" through art production.

Founded by ex-prisoner Buck Adams who believes there is a way to celebrate the artistic talent "inside" and to encourage financial accountability from the art producing inmates through the potential sale of their works towards paying restitution, child support, commissary, phone calls, J-Pay fees (institutional email), and even potentially be savings to support reintegration once released.

"they call him the Billboard Banksy" known as someone whose "art does not live on walls but in the streets," Paula Picassa is one of the prison artworks used in this Art for Redemption mural in Denver, Colorado.

Here, in this close-up of the mural, Paula Picassa can be clearly seen in the upper left corner.

Paula Picassa is Anna D. Smith Fine Art and Real Estate Broker's official business logo, and is on the cover of the Art for Redemption Prison art coffee table book.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Art for Redemption (@artforredemption)

#3 Marilyn Monroe Catrina

Marilyn Monroe Catrina, Acrylic painting is a work by Mexican prison artist Saenz. Published by Prison Art Tulum.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/BUKlyuSAfcG/]

Prison Art Tulum is a non-profit foundation for Mexican prisoners. It teaches tattoo skills, such as creating amazing unique tattooed leather bags.

When Marilyn Monroe wanted to become a movie star, she had to reinvent herself. Her mother was born in Mexico. This meant Marilyn Monroe by heritage was a Latina. Her maternal grandparents arrived in Mexico after a series of droughts in the 1890s created hardships for grain farmers in the Midwest.

This meant in the early 1910s, Marilyn Monroe's maternal grandparents Otis Elmer Monroe and his wife Della Mae Hogan lived in Mexico during the time Mexican printmaker, cartoon illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada created La Calavera Catrina or Catrina La Calavera Garbancera ('Dapper Skeleton', 'Elegant Skull'). La Catrina has become an icon of the Mexican Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

While the original work by Posada introduced the character, the popularity of La Calavera as well as her name is derived from a work by artist Diego Rivera in his 1947 completed mural Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday afternoon along Central Alameda).

#4 Immaculate

Immaculate, Colored pencil, is a work by an Unknown prison artist. Published by Toast With The Moast. [https://www.instagram.com/p/CaRVIp2LPo6/]

Toast With The Moast publishes Pop Art, painstakingly penciled from prison.

#5 Girl

Girl, is a work by prison artist R. Williams. Published by Adopt an Inmate.

[https://adoptaninmate.org/prison-art-gallery/]

Adopt an Inmate invites society to treat people in prison as valuable members. Each time an inmate is 'adopted', their voice is amplified, their family grows, and one connection at a time, we are made aware of how the criminal justice system treats the people it presumes to judge.

Adopt an Inmate provides education for both the incarcerated and their adopters, increasing the likelihood that the incarcerated will be prepared to enter the community and will be successful once they arrive.

#6 Rihanna

Rihanna is a work by prison artist Gabriel S. Published by The Cut.

[https://www.thecut.com/2016/11/see-on-the-inside-by-lgbtq-artists-who-are-incarcerated.html]

In November of 2016, The Cut published, "Incarcerated LGBTQ Artists Created This New Exhibit." The article informs us, that in American jails, LGBTQ prisoners have the highest chance of physical and sexual victimization, and according to data from Black and Pink's national LGBTQ prisoner survey, they are six times more likely to be sexually assaulted in the general population and experience discrimination, verbal harassment, and assault by prison staff.

On New York's Lower East Side, the Abrons Arts Center held the Prison Art exhibition, On the Inside: A Group Show of LGBTQ Artists Who Are Currently Incarcerated. It featured works pulled from nearly 1,000 submissions from LGBTQ prison artists across the United States.

Pieces were created with what the imprisoned artists could find: dull pencils, an occasional water-color kit from the commissary, ballpoint-pen ink tubes, and (for one featured artist) an asthma inhaler and Kool-Aid. One of the rooms in the exhibit was built to be the same size of a solitary confinement cell. It also featured a texting component, where viewers could text their thoughts on the artworks to those artists behind bars.

The exhibition was created by LGBTQ activist and filmmaker Tatiana von Fürstenberg (daughter of Diane von Fürstenberg) and Black and Pink. Black and Pink is a grassroots organization that helps nearly 11,000 LGBTQ prisoners across the country.

#7 Untitled

Untitled, is a work by an Unknown prison artist. Published by The Never Forgotten.

[https://www.etsy.com/listing/1161610473/prison-art-work?ref=related-3]

The Never Forgotten connects prisoners to resources and to society with pen pal and artwork services.

#8 Untitled

Untitled is a work by an Unknown prison artist. Published by Prison Art Gallery.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/B7SHLwEpGAe/]

Prison art done by a great artist currently in solitary confinement...I know I've been trying to get things done for months now but we gonna keep it going til we get there...technology really is difficult to use. For someone who has never used it...and when it comes to business you can't just sink money into things unless you know what each dollar is doing so it's been a waaay slower process than I want but we got all the art ready to sell.

-----Prison Art Gallery

#9 Diana

Diana (2016), Wax on paper, is a work by California prison artist C-Note. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://darealprisonart.pixels.com/featured/diana-donald-c-note-hooker.html]

In a 2016 Interview with Darealprisonart, C-Note explains the rationale behind this work.

DRPA: So what's the next piece you have for us?

C-Note: Diana

DRPA: Very beautiful, now what is the story behind that?

C-Note: This is "Colored Girl," Part II, or the sequel. "Colored Girl," was done in 2009, in 2016, I did "Diana." The impetus is that I'm starting to be in galleries and museums. Probably patronized by white people, with 50% of the population being women, probably women, and older women. Who sees their beauty? I'll never forget a conversation I saw on the CBS Morning Show with Charlie Rose, Norah O'Donnell, and Gayle King. Nora, was complaining about being dog whistled, or cat whistled at by men. Gail had a different take. She did not find that behavior offensive at all, in fact, wish guys would do that to her. So that set off an epiphany. I mean who's cat whistling the grandmothers? Because that's what Gayle King is. You read sex for people in their eighties is still wanted and desired. So we don't stop being sexual and wanted because of our age. America is much criticized for being a youth culture; so I like to buck against the norms, root for underdogs. "Diana," was created for the white, mature, woman, who may patronize the galleries and museums that my work may be in. It is my conversation with that audience, with that patronage, that "I" see you. That "I" see the beauty in you, and that I pay homage to that beauty. The piece was originally to be called "Diana A Roman Goddess," but a friend of mine in here, who is dating a wiccan, she knew Diana to be a goddess. I had added the Roman Goddess part because I was fearful if I just use the name Diana it will be construed with "Princess Diana," Lady Diana Spencer Princess of Wales (1961-1997), but since the Wiccans know Diana to be a goddess, simply Diana was the preferred titled.

In a 2021 article, "Paulina Porizkova Feels "Invisible" at 56-Even as a Supermodel," at 56, Porizkova said she feels "invisible" when interacting with men, even though she herself feels more confident and sexier than ever. Porizkova has been consistently outspoken about aging and about the way our society becomes even more unfair to women as they get older.

#10 Untitled

Untitled, Graphite on paper, is a work by Connor Palmer. Published by Ink From The Pen Magazine.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ9vHLtp4Ty/]

INK FROM THE PEN MAGAZINE features the unseen artwork and talent from behind the razor walls. Ink From The Pen Magazine is an approved vendor for federal, state, and county correctional facilities. You can purchase current and back issues of Ink From The Pen Magazine at their website, they ship Worldwide.

#11 Belle & Sebastian, "Folds Your Hands Child" album cover

Belle & Sebastian, "Folds Your Hands Child" album cover, 12"x12", original acrylic painting is a work by William B. Livingston III. Published by Prison Art.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ2oZpPPwUL/]

William B. Livingston III has been featured in the Guardian UK, The Washington Post Magazine and has had paintings displayed in the MoMA PS1 gallery in New York.

"All of my inspiration comes from music. How could it not? I have been completely consumed with music my entire life. I have gone through so many years of my life where the only thing I wanted to do was sit in a room, drink whiskey, and listen to records. That has always been my favorite pastime. And as the nights would wear on, I would always end up painting.

Today, I am over thirteen years sober. I still have the opportunity to listen to music and paint but no longer need the alcohol and drugs to do so. Who needs them with all the torment I deal with everyday from taking another man's life.

Just like many artists in prison, I love getting art supplies to work with, but they are not necessary. I will draw in the dirt; I will smear toothpaste on cardboard; I will make paint out of instant coffee; and I will bribe paint crews for whatever I can get. My desire is that some of my work will end up in someone's home - on someone's wall - that they will want to live with a piece of my art."

- WB Livingston, Oklahoma

#12 Untitled

Untitled, is a work by California prison artist Carlos Martir. Published by Prisonart Project.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/B0mh_-0ANfz/]

Prisonart Project is a nonprofit organization that teaches Art classes within California correctional facilities by helping inmates do their time with purpose and meaning.

Artwork created by incarcerated artists

#13 Untitled

Untitled, Acrylic painting, is a work by Cisneros. Published by Prisonart Project.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/B7z4XDLAqAn/]

Prisonart Project is a nonprofit organization that teaches Art classes within California correctional facilities by helping inmates do their time with purpose and meaning.

#14 Untitled

Untitled, Ink on paper, is a work by California prison artist Cartoon. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://darealprisonart.pixels.com/featured/untitled-cartoon-.html]

#15 Da Pantherlettes

Da Pantherlettes, Colored pencil and ink on paper, is a work by the Revolutionary prison artist Joedee. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://darealprisonart.pixels.com/featured/da-pantherlettes-joedee.html]

They call him the Revolutionary prison artist. Joe "Joedee" Wigby is a triple OG out of the Los Angeles-Compton, California area. Most of the public is probably familiar with his young cousin, Eric "Eazy-E" Wright, from the Los Angeles-Compton based Rap group NWA. But if you are from the Los Angeles and Compton area, you know this OG is well respected.

Highly praised for his series of works known as "Black August 40th Anniversary," a series of works created in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Black August. Black August started in 1979 as a commemoration of Khatari Gaulden, who was killed the year before on Aug. 1 as a result of medical neglect by San Quentin Prison authorities.

Instead of adding Aug. 1 to the existing days of observation that marked the deaths of activists like W.L. Nolen, Alvin Miller, Cleveland Edwards, and George and Jonathan Jackson, the prisoners standing in resistance to the massive California prison-industrial complex declared the whole month to be Black August.

While Black August as a month-long in memoriam occurred after the 1978 death of Khatari Gaulden, it was inspired by the first in memoriam of the August 21, 1971, Death of George Lester Jackson in San Quentin. The artist specifically requested his Series be released on August 21st, in memory of George Jackson.

#16 Adriana W.

Adriana W., Ink on paper, is a work by California prison artist C-Note. Published by Liist Studio.

[https://liistudio.com/two-muses-one-picture-an-amazing-piece-of-art/44369/]

"Two muses, one picture; An Amazing piece of art," was a 2020 article published by Liist Studio on C-Note's work Adriana W. "Two muses One Picture" is a piece of art by famous prisoner Artist "Donald "C-Note" Hooker. He is commonly known as C-Note. The piece of art C-note was named as Adriana W. Adriana W was the news reporter who interviewed the artist. The painting depicts the picture of an actress who played a part in a Madison Avenue ad campaign of perfume," wrote Liist Studio.

#17 Untitled

Untitled, Ink on paper, is a work by prison artist Mitchell. Published by Ink by Mg

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CZdJ8havFKS/]

Ink by Mg publishes the Prison art from behind the walls by Mitchell.

#18 Untitled

Untitled, Graphite on paper, is a work by California prison artist Esilent from 43GC. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://darealprisonart.pixels.com/featured/1-untitled-esilent43gc.html]

#19 Untitled

Untitled, is a work by an Unknown prison artist. Published by Against All Odds Arte.

[https://www.etsy.com/listing/1130651664/cali-chicano-art?ref=shop_home_active_14&frs=1&cns=1]

Against All Odds Arte is a San Antonio, Texas company who sells Prison art. "Our shop's purpose is to support the art within the walls and be able to share their talent and continue to support them with any necessities they may need to be able to stay in touch with loved ones. Each piece is made with time, love, and talent."

#20 Gloria

Gloria, painting, is a work by California prison artist Kiki Sparkles. Published by Darealprisonart.

[https://darealprisonart.pixels.com/featured/gloria-kiki-sparkles.html]

#21 Bikini Bottom Highlighted

Bikini Bottom Highlighted, is a work by Kansas prison artist Austin Gossett. Published by Austin Gossett Prison Art [https://www.instagram.com/p/CaDl2W4LsUg/]

Kansas prison Austin Gossett is a powerful colorist within his visual Works, and a writer of two books Jailbird: An erotic story from behind bars, and Santa Is Coming: A erotic Christmas story from behind bars. He will be released in 2023.

#22 Untitled

Untitled, is a work by California prison artist David Aguilar. Published by Prison Art by David Aguilar.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/CAg6Wstl3yI/]

#23 Untitled

Untitled, Colored pencil, is a work by California prison artist Michael Blanco. Published by mike88hunter.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca-M22lJ391/]

#24 Life Without the Possibility of Parole

Life Without the Possibility of Parole, Collage and graphite on paper, is a work by California prison artist C-Note. Published by Mprisond Poetz.

[https://mprisondpoetz.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/life-without-the-possibility-of-parole/]

Mprisond Poetz is poetry by thoz Mprisond.

Life Without the Possibility of Parole (LWOP) is part of a Paintoem (painting +poem) created by C-Note to draw attention to the 175+ women imprisoned at the Central California Women Facility (CCWF), who are serving a sentence of LWOP. These women are deemed unworthy of any State spending regarding rehabilitation. Eventho it is not uncommon that for some, this sentence will be commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

This urgent, urgent matter, first came to the attention of the artist in the 2016 Summer publication of California Prison Focus. Besides the poem and this painting, C-Note also created a play around this subject, and it too is titled Life Without the Possibility of Parole.

#25 Untitled

Untitled, Ink on paper, is a work by an Unknown prison artist. Published by Prison Art Wear.

[https://www.instagram.com/p/0yquyDD2Dj/]

Prison Art Wear is dedicated to bringing you an art form of prison tattoo inspired art composed while behind bars. ....

On FaceBook you will find original prison tattoo inspired artwork, from black and white ballpoint pen drawings, pencil sketches to unique tattooed "tumbler" cups created while behind bars with the simplest supplies. Our purpose is to share the love and passion for this form of art that would otherwise not see the light of day.....Enjoy

Conclusion

When Erving "Magic" Johnson entered the NBA in 1980, the US Congress hadn't passed the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, a law that recognizes crack cocaine, a derivative of powder cocaine, to carry a federal sentence 100 times the weight of its powder cocaine derivative. In other words, it enacted a criminal liability scheme that $125 of street value crack cocaine, a user's amount, is the moral and criminal equivalent of $12,500 of street value powder cocaine, a dealer's amount. It created racial disparity in sentencing, as it was known at the time of its enactment, African Americans were the consumers of crack, while White Americans were the consumers of powder.

Nor had Congress passed the 1994 crime bill, and California hadn't passed its draconian Three Strikes law in 1994.

So if you ever wonder why athletes from disadvantaged communities of old didn't have tattoos, but this generation does, it's the influence of those returning from prison on those communities.

Earlier, the Graffiti writing behind the wall led to the proliferation of Graffiti outside of it. Both policymakers and artists needed to find a legal outlet for Graffiti, thus born Street art. Hip Hop's Rap, also came from the American prison system. That same Rap, held a place in popular culture through the play Hamilton on Broadway.

Prison art is the most influential Contemporary Art movement, but it's an Underground Art movement. Underground art, according to the Tate Museum, is Graffiti, Street art, Comic strips, Digital art, etc..., and that would include Prison art.

After examining tens of thousands of prison artworks on Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy, and other sources, these were the 25 of Prison Art's Most Beautiful Women to be picked. The final 25 choices were not easy to decide upon. Others were chosen because of their critical recognition outside of the image sharing social media websites.

Because of Prison arts scarcity, and its long overdue recognition as the most influential art form in the world of Underground contemporary art, we are waiting for art investors, collectors, and lovers of art, to give it its due in the Art market, in spite of American Prisoner Ross Ulbricht's debut NFT, "Perspective," Graphite on Paper selling for $6.2M at Auction to Kick Off Art Basel in Miami for 2021.