| When Glen and I arrived at the exhibition area, he called my attention to a large painting near the center of the exhibits. "That", he said, "is probably Kevin's painting, which he described to you". Indeed it was. It had a ribbon on it -- "Best of Show". It is a large painting, with orange background and a silhouette of a man facing a cemetery that had only white crosses with numbers on them. These were the graves of Angola Inmates. The nearest cross had Kevin's number on it. Around the frame was a strand of very small, copper colored barbed wire. Close inspection of the surface revealed a few small (and actual) nails. Near this Best of Show painting were other paintings by Kevin (some of them with "First Place" ribbons) -- beautiful work, expressive art. There were representative paintings as well as abstract expressionism. A couple of these abstracts reminded me of Jackson Pollack's famous paintings. One of the abstracts was very interesting -- the shapes, rhythms and colors so intricately designed that new insights would be revealed every time anyone looked at it. Values and intensities of the colors seemed to flow in waves from the edges of the painting toward the just-off-center focus where smaller and different shapes in counterpoint to those in the larger areas, coalesced in the most intricate and vibrant display. I was entranced I simply cannot forget that painting. Kevin Seward. He is an athletic young man who has a truly profound talent for expressing emotions and meanings through his art. I was impressed when I first saw some of his work during a rodeo - art festival. Later, a few of his paintings appeared on his internet website (beautiful ladies, lush and serene Louisiana bayous, a pensive portrait of a young girl -- a photograph of Kevin among his paintings . . . ) . One day my friend Pops gave me one of Kevin's paintings which Pops had brought from Angola, and told me that Kevin had told him, "This one is for Percy." (The painting was of a young man leaning against a stone wall -- he looked alert but hopeless). Recently, in one of Kevin's letters, he told me that Louisiana State University had chosen three of his paintings to be shown in their August art exhibit. I had hoped to see these three paintings during my Angola visit, but I did not get to see them. I will visit the LSU exhibit next month. Glen and I wanted to talk personally with Kevin -- this would be my first opportunity for a personal chat with him. I asked a guard where I could find Kevin Seward. Everyone in the group of inmates who could hear me were instantly alert when I mentioned the name. An electric wave of attention swept along the line of artists behind the razor wire fence, and the guard led me to where Kevin was being interviewed. Glen and I had to wait -- and after about fifteen minutes we were allowed to talk for three minutes with Kevin before he had to join his fellow artists. I shall return, along with my artist friend Glen, for a more lengthy personal visit with Kevin. Other items on exhibit revealed the extraordinary skill of some of the artists and craftsmen. Beautiful woodwork, paintings (particularly those of the air brush) of excellent surface, colors and renditions. It is a tribute to the staff of Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, that they can provide atmosphere and conditions for such talents to be exercised, despite the otherwise unavoidable depressive circumstances of prison life. Angola is also famous for its annual rodeo. Recently jurisdiction of the prison was returned from the Federal Government, to the state of Louisiana. Could the return of control of this institution to the State of Louisiana be a tribute to the present governor, Mike Foster, for what he has done to improve it? ### |