Through monumental installations made of soap and stones, Jesse Krimes questions the prison system – colossally

Around 2009, Jesse Krimes was placed in solitary confinement while awaiting trial on drug charges. He had recently graduated from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with an art degree and was spending his first year at the Fairton Federal Correctional Institution. “The one thing they couldn’t take away from me or control was my creativity,” he says.

Like many imprisoned artists, Krimes had to forego the luxury of a pristine canvas and a set of paints. Instead, he had to be resourceful and use the few materials available to him. He began transferring printed mugshots and small photos The New York Times on wet residues of soap bars. He then placed the blurry, inverted portraits into cut-out decks of playing cards glued together with toothpaste, creating a kind of protective cover that allowed him to smuggle the works out of the facility.

The 292 works resulted in “Purgatory,” which takes into account our view of crime and refers to the unwinnable game of life in a carceral society. After broadcasting photos of people sentenced to prison as well as celebrities like Naomi Campbell and David Letterman, Krimes points out how popular images can exacerbate power imbalances.

“Purgatory” is currently playing at The Met in Jesse Krimes: Correctionsone of two New York exhibitions of the artist’s work.

Exploring the role of photography in the criminal justice system, corrections brings together several large-format works by Krimes, including “Apokaluptein: 16389067”. The 40-foot patchwork mural also features images from newspapers that the artist transferred to 39 prison bedsheets using hair gel. Inverted photographic representations stitch together advertisements, snapshots of global unrest, and life scenes from 2010 to 2013, all overlaid with Krimes’ own drawings.

The root of the apocalypse, Apokaluptein is a Greek word translated as “uncover” and “revelation.” Combined with Krimes’ Bureau of Prisons ID number, the title references mass destruction and the view of the world conveyed by the justice system.

After his release, Krimes co-founded the Center for Art and Advocacy, which supports artists directly affected by the justice system, and continues to work with incarcerated people, who often seek help obtaining materials for his work.

“Naxos,” for example, hangs 9,000 pebbles from prison yards in a living installation paralleling “Apokaluptein: 16389067” at The Met. And at the Jack Shainman Gallery, where Krimes is represented, the artist’s new work repurposes clothing he collected from currently and formerly incarcerated people into sprawling tapestries.

cells shows three abstract works of transferred art historical images, overlaid with extensive, net-like embroidery. The mesh pattern is based on microscopic images of cancer cells that the artist excised to leave only the healthy tissue intact. By eradicating these malignancies, he creates a complex metaphor for the way the justice system removes people from society while exploring new paths to care and redemption.

Part of Krimes’ intention with his practice is to pay homage to the people within it. “It is an absolute honor to showcase works created in such an austere and traumatic environment,” he said corrections. “The exhibition of these works highlights much more than the work of a single artist, namely the collective worth, creativity and dignity of the millions of people currently behind prison walls.”

cells is on view at the Jack Shainman Gallery through December 21st Jesse Krimes: Corrections runs at The Met through July 13, 2025. For more information about Krimes, visit his website.