ALFREDO MARTINEZ, the first Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

ALFREDO MARTINEZ, the first Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

ALFREDO MARTINEZ, the first Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

the drawings arrived at artlovers NYC, in manilla envelopes, sent through the regular mail. (the work began arriving in June of 2003, most of the photo documentation took place in Sept 2003). ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

although put in the slammer for the white collar crime of art fraud, Alfredo was kept in the heavy duty lock down of the MDC, Metropolitan Detention Center, for security reasons, not the least being his ability to fashion working weapons from scrap. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

with a little encouragement, larger pieces begin to arrive. these works were produced on homemade paper, using paper scraps, flour & water, a skill Alfredo picked up from a Russian inmate, and colored with casually available food stuffs, such as instant coffee packets. art supplies are absolutely forbidden in the federal prison system, due to their abuse in facilitating gang markings and tattoos. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

it took handfuls of coffee packets, mixed into little cups of water, to stain the smallest surfaces, later on, after some experimentation, Alfredo was able to extract a wider range of color pigment, using jello, among other sources. he also started doing inmate portraits, which upped his status among the hard core population. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

small signs that Alfredo was doing a little better. the very first drawings, top row, expressed his trauma at being force-fed, several times. Prison time, for someone who had serious authority issues to begin with, among other traits, was very hard for Alfredo to adjust to, the only way he could deal with his internment, was to stop eating. so he was force-fed. When the authorities finally figured him out, placing him in the kitchen to work, and giving him a little leeway to draw, he chilled out. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

detail, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, Sept 3, 2003

one day a really large package arrived. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

as soon as the envelope was slit, a huge folded up mass of collaged/handmade paper burst out. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

a huge drawing comes all folded up. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

its signed along the bottom with Alfredo's trademarks, and his inmate number. it already shows a new range of color pigmentations, but what is it? ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

it had to be unravelled slowly. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

..a huge warrior robot, about 7' high, 6' wide. on laboriously collaged paper scraps and utilizing hundreds of tiny coffee packets mixed into small cups of water. it was to be the largest piece Alfredo was able to produce and mail out of prison. ALFREDO MARTINEZ, Drawings from Prison, July 14, 2003

based on this output, a show was arranged for Alfredo at THE PROPOSITION GALLERY. Alfredo had exhibited there previously, but relations had become a little strained, but there was no denying the beauty and forcefulness of the prison production. The card's image was a large rendering of the force feeding episodes. Alfredo was in Hunger Strike Day 55 when they strapped him down and put tubes up his nose. The show was called: 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison. It ran from October 24 - November 29, 2003. click here for early press photos of the opening: artnet

the earliest inmate drawing, top, and below, the later and larger inmate portraits, with a greater range of foodstuff coloring and a glossy homemade glue 'veneer', coating the paper's entire surface, and reflecting light almost like a stained glass window. 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 8, 2003

inmate portraits, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

inmate portraits, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

former MDC inmate, Michael Diaz, lucky enough to be released in time to stand next to his portrait at the opening. 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24, 2003

ELLEN DONAHUE, PROPOSITION founder and co-director, at the opening, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24, 2003

inmate portrait, foodstuff color pigments on handmade paper, ALFREDO MARTINEZ, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 8, 2003

a wall of gun pieces, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

large gun drawing, foodstuff pigment colors on handmade paper, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

gun drawing, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

gun drawing, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 29, 2003

...watch what you write to someone called Alfredo in jail, it could become very public, foodstuff pigment drawing on collaged letters made into homemade paper,'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Nov 8, 2003

...while away the time in prison thinking about the good ole days, detail, foodstuff pigment drawing on handmade paper, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24, 003

detail, foodstuff pigment color on handmade paper, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24, 2003

the show also included some early documentary photos by artlovers' NANCY SMITH. on the left, MARK ENGER, of EXPLODING SKY, allows Alfredo to put one of his handmade specials, to his head. photographed at EXIT ART, MARCH 25, 1999. 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24 - Nov 29, 2003

ALFREDO MARTINEZ builds his guns as part of an installation, EXIT ART, March 25, 1999. Photograph by NANCY SMITH. included in the exhibit, 'THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA VS. ALFREDO MARTINEZ', Drawings from Prison, THE PROPOSITION, Oct 24 - Nov 29, 2003