Review of California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book
Posted: 12 Jan 2024, 11:37
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book" by Martin Drews.]
California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book is a book by Dexter Martin Drews. As is evident from the title, this book features artwork by inmates on death row. Martin, known as Marty by his fellow inmates, was born in Washington. A second-degree murder conviction brought Marty into the custody of the California Department of Corrections in 1984. However, an incident on December 27th, 2000, gets Marty assigned to San Quentin State Prison on death row.
Marty shares a few words at the start of the book, which gives the reader a glimpse of the kind of life the inmates endured. He mentions Warden Clinton Duffy, who served from 1940 to 1952 and had a distinct perspective. He also provides a history of the methods used in the past to carry out state-sanctioned executions and how things stand in recent times.
Most of the drawings in this book are by Marty Drews and Todd Givens. Billy Joe Johnson, Mike, and Travis Frazier are the other contributors. Their artwork provides insight into their mental states after a life-altering event—a crime, some would argue—while they were detained and awaiting execution. In addition to using art to kill time, the convicts also used it as a vehicle for self-expression. Besides, many of them traded their artwork for food and other essentials; they also benefited financially.
In addition to creating mesmerizing flowers, birds, butterflies, fairies, and angels, Marty displays drawings titled Struggle Within, Angel of Sorrows, Birthday Mask, and many more. These pieces have the potential to prompt us to rethink our positions.
Todd Givens has many of his artworks depicting semi-nude women, with one titled Deception and another titled Isn’t She an Angel? Each of his pieces strongly communicates his state of mind. The one titled Eternal Noise impacted me profoundly. It was the most intense of all of his thought-provoking art expressions.
As I turned over 120 pages of artwork, I could see beyond the prisoner on death row—a person with a heart on a roller coaster of emotions. I could feel intense pain, utter regret, confusion, the longing for love, their adoration for nature's beauty, and fear of the final step towards the inevitable. Positively, though, they generally seem to have come to terms with the realities of the past, present, and future and reflect a ray of hope. Some artworks reveal their compassionate side from an alternative viewpoint.
I am reminded of a saying: condemn the actions, not the person. Situations drive people to behave in a certain way in their weak moments, and society must ensure such situations do not arise.
I have no complaints regarding the book. The book is nearly error-free, thanks to the excellent work of the editors. Hence, I rate this stimulating book of artworks a full 5 out of 5 stars.
Given that some of the content is imposing and unsettling and may not be suited for a younger audience, I recommend this book to mature adults. This book will provide a brief glimpse into the gentle side of those regarded as hard-core criminals. It will be helpful to psychology students, lawmakers, and anybody else studying human behavior and society in general.
******
California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book is a book by Dexter Martin Drews. As is evident from the title, this book features artwork by inmates on death row. Martin, known as Marty by his fellow inmates, was born in Washington. A second-degree murder conviction brought Marty into the custody of the California Department of Corrections in 1984. However, an incident on December 27th, 2000, gets Marty assigned to San Quentin State Prison on death row.
Marty shares a few words at the start of the book, which gives the reader a glimpse of the kind of life the inmates endured. He mentions Warden Clinton Duffy, who served from 1940 to 1952 and had a distinct perspective. He also provides a history of the methods used in the past to carry out state-sanctioned executions and how things stand in recent times.
Most of the drawings in this book are by Marty Drews and Todd Givens. Billy Joe Johnson, Mike, and Travis Frazier are the other contributors. Their artwork provides insight into their mental states after a life-altering event—a crime, some would argue—while they were detained and awaiting execution. In addition to using art to kill time, the convicts also used it as a vehicle for self-expression. Besides, many of them traded their artwork for food and other essentials; they also benefited financially.
In addition to creating mesmerizing flowers, birds, butterflies, fairies, and angels, Marty displays drawings titled Struggle Within, Angel of Sorrows, Birthday Mask, and many more. These pieces have the potential to prompt us to rethink our positions.
Todd Givens has many of his artworks depicting semi-nude women, with one titled Deception and another titled Isn’t She an Angel? Each of his pieces strongly communicates his state of mind. The one titled Eternal Noise impacted me profoundly. It was the most intense of all of his thought-provoking art expressions.
As I turned over 120 pages of artwork, I could see beyond the prisoner on death row—a person with a heart on a roller coaster of emotions. I could feel intense pain, utter regret, confusion, the longing for love, their adoration for nature's beauty, and fear of the final step towards the inevitable. Positively, though, they generally seem to have come to terms with the realities of the past, present, and future and reflect a ray of hope. Some artworks reveal their compassionate side from an alternative viewpoint.
I am reminded of a saying: condemn the actions, not the person. Situations drive people to behave in a certain way in their weak moments, and society must ensure such situations do not arise.
I have no complaints regarding the book. The book is nearly error-free, thanks to the excellent work of the editors. Hence, I rate this stimulating book of artworks a full 5 out of 5 stars.
Given that some of the content is imposing and unsettling and may not be suited for a younger audience, I recommend this book to mature adults. This book will provide a brief glimpse into the gentle side of those regarded as hard-core criminals. It will be helpful to psychology students, lawmakers, and anybody else studying human behavior and society in general.
******
California San Quentin State Prison Death Row Art Book
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
