Out of all the conceptual artists we have discussed in class the last couple of weeks, Lucky Pierre is one that truly intrigued me. His imitation work involving prison inmates and their final meal before execution really speaks a great deal and exemplifies Pierre’s role as a social critic. I have always been a very strong believer that, regardless of the offense or wrongdoing a person commits, murder should not be a consequence and I feel that he truly speaks to that. The way in which he projects the fictitious convicts on the television screens, in that he never shows their faces, adds to the idea that we do not see convicted felons as people, ultimately making it easier to “legally” murder them. I also like the way in which he presents his agenda, in that I feel that it creates more of an experience rather than just observing and pondering a picture, thus evoking more thought.
I also found him to be one of the more intriguing artists. I think what makes his pieces truly different is that he forces you to see these inmates as people. Instead of looking at them from behind bars, as inmates are commonly portrayed, we look at them doing activities of normal people. This portrayal forces us to think of them as just eating another meal, just as we do everyday. The idea of their last meal is one that most of us push aside, almost too afraid to think of, but bringing this to light, he forces us to think of the justice of what is about to ensue in their life.
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