Captured

People In Prison Drawing People Who Should Be

David and Charles Koch, heads of Koch Industries, drawn by inmate Joseph Acker, who is serving 10 years
Photograph: Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider

Opening Reception: May 26th, 6-9pm
April 26th - June 30th, 2016
7 Heron St, SF, CA 94103 — heronarts.com

April 11, 2016, San Francisco, CA — Heron Arts is pleased to present Captured: People In Prison Drawing People Who Should Be, the first exhibition featuring the drawings and paintings done by prison inmates, depicting corporate CEOs whose companies are accused of serious crimes. For over a year, Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider asked people in prison to paint or draw people the duo felt should be in prison–the CEOs of companies doing damage to our environment and economy. To help expose crimes masquerading as commerce, the project imagines those at the highest levels of corporate leadership being personally responsible for their companies' illegal actions. Captured: People In Prison Drawing People Who Should Be opens on Thursday May 26th, 2016 with an opening reception from 6-9 PM and runs through June 30th, 2016.

The show will feature all of the drawings shown in the 60-page, high-quality printed hardcover book, Captured. The drawings are not for sale and the 1,000 edition book sold out in a number of days. The show is free and open to the public. Present at the opening will be the creators of Captured, Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider. We will be hosting a discussion on the book and attendees will be encouraged to register to vote for the upcoming primary at the opening reception.

Captured was created by Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider with the intent of bringing attention to the abuse of power by corporate CEOs. The two approached the most artistic inmates, who are all guilty of serious offenses, and provided them with the subjects to draw or paint. The lineup was comprised of people in leadership positions of companies that had placed monetary reward over the well-being of humanity and the planet. Those names include the likes of the Koch Brothers, Lloyd Blankfein, the CEO of Goldman Sachs and Sepp Blatter, former CEO of FIFA. Most of these CEOs were in leadership positions at the time their companies’ crimes were committed. Greenspan and Tider chose their group of incarcerated artists based not only on their skills but also on their crimes, which mirrored those committed by the featured corporations. For example, the project includes those guilty of murder and also features the CEO of General Motors, a company responsible for more than 124 deaths due to a defect in car ignition switches, with a fix they knowingly delayed public awareness of.

Greenspan and Tider created Captured to highlight how the criminal justice system is slanted in favor of those with resources to avoid it. The two went to great lengths to understand the crimes and the criminals behind bars creating the pieces for the book. Most of the artists admitted their crimes and were not asking to be freed, but felt those with such great power and financial resources who have committed equal or worse crimes should be similarly brought to justice. By comparing the inmates with the CEOs, Greenspan and Tider hope to shine light onto white collar crimes and how little they are prosecuted.

To date, Captured has sold out of the 1,000 run book, valuing at approximately $40,000. They have donated all profit toward efforts to elect Bernie Sanders. This was an obvious fit for Greenspan and Tider as the former Vermont senator's top issues are holding Wall Street accountable for their actions and criminal justice reform. Greenspan and Tider have worked together previously. Their past projects include a guerilla installation of a 100-pound bust of Edward Snowden in the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park, a memorial to POWs who lost their lives during the American Revolution. The two collaborated with sculptor Doyle Trankina and installed it illegally (both have accepted summonses).

About Jeff Greenspan and Andrew Tider
Jeff Greenspan is an NYC based artist whose work focuses on activism and social justice. He is a freelance Creative Director, helping brands connect with people. He was BuzzFeed's first Chief Creative Officer, a Creative Strategist at Facebook, and a Creative Director at BBDO.

Andrew Tider is an Artist, Entrepreneur, and Masters Degree Professor focused on Ethical Creativity/Communications at City College in NYC. He has been a creative consultant for U.S. Congressmen, Foundations, and many brands - helping them communicate in ways that engage and add value to the world.

About Heron Arts
Heron Arts was founded in 2013 by Mark Slee, an active member of San Francisco's creative community, who has been organizing events since the mid-2000s. Prior to Heron Arts, Slee was a member of Facebook's product design and development team. He was joined in 2015 by directors Noah Antieau and Tova Lobatz, who are pursuing ambitious programming that will encompass installations and experiential interactive environments, alongside traditional gallery exhibitions.

Location: 7 Heron Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Gallery Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 3-7pm and by appointment

For media inquiries, interview opportunities and images: tova@heronarts.com