Art
"The Last Supper" is a mural found in the interior of California Men’s Colony prison in San Luis Obispo, California. Although the painter is unknown, the inspiration from Leonardo Da Vinci’s Last Supper is obvious. The mural serves as the back ground to an alter, most likely inside the prison chapel.
I selected this piece because I’m interested in the religious connections experienced by the incarcerated. There are many stories of inmates experiencing profound conversion while in prison. There is also probably cultural relevance to the subject of this mural; California, specifically San Luis, have a high Latino population, which is traditionally associated with Catholicism and Christianity. The relatively high Latino population in California prisons might explain why religious iconography would appear on the walls of the prison, as a way for those incarcerated to stay connected to their faith and their culture outside prison walls.
"The Last Supper"
Photographed by Jim Prigoff. Early 1980s.
"Consciousness"
Created by Enrico Salinas & Christian Rodriguez. 2006.
“Consciousness” is not a piece that appears in a prison, but is rather a piece of street art that I feel beautifully portrays the connection between violence against one person and violence as a cultural ill. The words on the mural read, “Your body is a temple…an injury to one is an injury to all.”
Located on a street in San Antonio, Texas, this is another example of Chicano art that ties together the importance of faith and culture. “Your body is a temple” is a biblical reference, but the imagery included in the mural are also scientific and symbolic. These multiple connections serve to demonstrate that violence is a pervasive social ill.
This art is relevant to class because it demonstrates a peaceful attempt to communicate the lived experience of Chicanos in a violent culture, one where many individuals end up in prison as a result of the systemic violence they are exposed to.