This is not a paywall You can keep reading for free! At Hyperallergic , we strive to make art more inclusive, so you’ll never hit a paywall when reading our articles. But, as an independent publication, we rely on readers like you to keep our high-quality coverage free and accessible. Please consider joining us as a member to support independent journalism.
Already a member? Sign in here. Hyperallergic is turning 15! ..
. and we’re throwing a party in New York City that you won’t want to miss! Tickets are available now! Get the details. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism.
If you value our coverage and want to support more of it, consider supporting us as a member. Join Us LOS ANGELES — As I walked through No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention at the Los Angeles Public Library’s downtown Central Library, a small installation stopped me dead in my tracks. Through an open door was a jail cell, sparkling in its brand new stainless steel.
Squeezed into the narrow room, about the size of my walk-in closet, was a bunk bed, desk, shelving, and toilet mounted mere centimeters away from the bottom bunk. “Prisoners’ Invention” (2001–14) recreates the room in which an incarcerated inventor, simply known as Angelo, lived for more than a decade. An artist collective on the outside, Temporary Services, built prototypes of the items Angelo saw MacGyvered in the prison system, like salt and pepper shakers made from empty Bic lighters, a pop-up Christmas tre.
