Photographer Alyse Emdur’s affecting book of photography, Prison Landscapes explores one of the lesser known traditions of the U.S. correctional system—the commemorative prison portrait. Whether it’s the memento of a family visit or the celebration of an achievement like acquiring a GED, Emdur’s photographs evoke a lot of emotions. On the one hand, some of the subjects look legitimately happy, and small joys are the stuff of prison survival. On the other hand, the chintzy backdrops are reminiscent of aquarium decorations, complete with fake foliage and fantasy scenes.

Of course, U.S. prisons are notorious for their lack of transparency, so Emdur compiled her material from inmates and their loved ones themselves. She spent years collecting the pictures, corresponding with contacts to, in her own words, “document a system that I did not have physical access to.” Refusing to shy away from the political implications of her work, she explicitly deconstructs the facade of the backdrops, saying:

“Prison visiting room portraits are constructed to intentionally leave out the reality of prison. The aim of my project is not to be an authority on that which is left out, but to rather make the artifice visible. Although the paintings on the backdrops represent freedom, they are vehicles to control the representation of prisons and prisoners.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Via Beautiful Decay