“Taking Liberties: The Horrors and Humanities of Incarceration” by Katya McCulloch
Throughout history, brave artists have used their work to confront the injustices of their time—challenging the establishment and often risking their careers and even their lives. If ever there were a moment in our life when such courage is needed again, it is now.
This piece, Taking Liberties: The Horrors and Humanities of Incarceration, along with the artist’s other submission, captured my attention from the very beginning. Her work tackles systemic social and judicial injustices head-on. Though all of her submissions are deserving of praise, I found the black-and-white prints especially striking—an apt metaphor for the dual systems of justice we are forced to reckon with in our current era and the rough sketchy hand carvings signifies the uneasiness.
A powerful image indeed. Through the sheer weight of its visuals, the piece demands immediate attention. The overwhelming accumulation of elements in its composition mirrors the oppressive realities it wishes to expose. The artist exposes her full emotional response to the effects of trade and commerce shaped by capitalism imposed upon society—capitalism that once promised prosperity for all but has become a privilege for the few.
At the bottom of the image, we are reminded of the true origins of this country’s economic engine. In the middle, Lady Liberty—who once stood tall to welcome the sick and the weary—now appears sick and weary herself, bound in barbed wire, constrained, out of reach, and powerless. To the left, the working class rising against the establishment, striving to free themselves and those trapped in modern forms of slavery. And yet, on the right, hopeful newcomers still arrive in search of liberty.
In a time when missing a single paycheck can mean standing in line for a grocery handout, this painting resonates deeply with a vast portion of the population. It reminds us that any meaningful readjustment of capitalism—and any hope for economic reform—demands collective action against an unjust system.
~ Hadi Aghaee