

Artwork From Contributors



I have this print hanging on my bathroom wall. It was created by Jenn Noble Shepherd of Perry County Kentucky. You can find more of her art here:
https://fineartamerica.com/art/paintings/jenn+noble+shepherd



Tactility
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Hidden, yet not hidden. See yet not seen. Cracked and fractured, deprived of tender affections-the faces of "Tactility" sulk, their lips pout in felt silence. They communicate without words; they make contact without eyes. Their mood is tangible, felt through their expressions.
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Each face emotes a color complementary to the other, a reflection their respective position on opposite sides of the mood wheel. The brown one, warmed with indignation, expresses a muted resentment at its surroundings, which confines and restricts it. The blue one, cooling with apathy, shows a tacit indifference, a find of abandonment to its subjugation. A constant distress hums from the surroundings, cracking the faces, creating a kind of background mood, breaking the silence.
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"Tactility" is an impression of mood. It conveys how the environment the way it's designed-contributes to and affects mood. Confined to a solitary existence, an environment that closes in on its inhabitants, I experience the felt qualities of my incarceration in my being. Without some kind of buffer of tender affections, or the afterglow of social proximity, my mood is susceptible to the rigors of my surroundings. "Tactility" embodies that.

Rejon Taylor
Death Row Inmate
Terre Haute, Indiana









There is a man because of a soul that gives life. He’s made of wood, wood because of its hard exterior. Durable enough to withstand the pressures of life. Strong enough to help support those in need. And rough on the edge, producing in him a humble nature. A man by birth. Raised from the dirt like a tree in the forest, created to be great amongst many. However, having the unique traits that were individually awarded to him, often times is a curse. His hard exterior, though durable, prevented anyone from getting inside, his depths were hidden. His strength was in helping those in need, but he became weak not realizing his own need for support. And however humbling, his rough edges often times produced splinters for those around him. Causing them pain when his only desire is to comfort. Misunderstood and mistreated, the wooden man felt alone in a world full of opportunity. He was incomplete, in need of fulfillment.
She was beautiful. She was sharp. She was forged in the fires of life. She was strong. She was a nail. She was sharp, able to penetrate the hard exterior of the wooden man, exposing his depths. She understood him, her metallic skin bypasses the man’s splinters with ease. Forged in the fire she became strong, stronger than he. She supports him, fixing him to a foundation making it possible for him to serve his purpose. A chance to be his best. She gave him life; she was his soul.
David Vaughn
"Fighting for Freedom in Ohio"
Artwork by Karimi Tybud Sutton
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The artist who created this work is brilliant! He has been incarcerated for over 28 years now in a California Correctional Facility for a crime he did not commit. You may contact him or follow him via Instagram at Free_Karimi_Sutton_sr. If you would like to e-mail him, you may do so here:
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Karimi (Tybud) Sutton J71244
P.O. Box 8800
Corcoran, CA 93212-8309




