We as a society demand from our law enforcement officials a sensitivity to diversity that our culture itself has not yet mastered. In hundreds of ways large and small, police are required to deal with not only the visible examples of diversity such as race, gender and national origin but also the invisible examples too. Police need to navigate different personality styles, ways of speaking, life style situations and levels of education. Most of us tend to navigate within a fairly narrow comfort zone socially. Police, however must be prepared to enter challenging situations with both good manners and  knowledge of inherent differences between various social  groups.

These drawings grew out of my appreciation for  the Oak Park Police Departments insistence on polite, respectful interaction with all members of our community. The towers in the drawings are "held" up by a system of word wires. The words describe  human beings in all their wonderful, glorious, dark, deep and even violent  aspects. 

22" x 30"

Ink, Watercolor on paper

Pen Drawings

All images are 22" x 30"

Mixed Media on Paper

Words play a crucial role in all areas of the criminal justice system but  for officers, careers can be made or broken by the use of language in their every day interactions with citizens and the forms that are a necessary part of the job. Though carefully chosen language and a well structured narrative, Police document and  explain criminal behaviors to the wider criminal justice system. Their language must be understood both  by jurors and legal professionals alike. Pens, language and statistics were my starting point for the drawings.

22" x 30"

Ink on paper

 Forensics

Forensic Science interests me because it's about subtle things: trace fibers, latent finger prints, microscopic bits of evidence. There are some really disturbing aspects of forensics too; like the rates of decay in decomposing bodies and the blow flies found in different region and other clues related to a murder investigation.

In the study of forensics, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional character Sherlock Holmes is much closer to reality than today's hyper "real" police shows. Holme's study of tobacco ash, fibers, foot prints and other detritus of life is exactly what forensic scientists look for at a crime scene.

This drawing contains human hair,animal fiber (English wool )and other bits of debris from the studio floor. My studio and any other room has it's own unique signature trace elements: metal bits, tiny pigment splatters, eraser noodles,pencil shavings, fibers from the garments I've sewn, tiny pieces of river mud from my walks by the Des Plaines. It's nearly invisible clues like this, gathered with painstaking patience, that link victim and suspect.

The circles in the drawing are meant to be an homage to Mr. Holmes's signature tool, the magnifying glass.The thread represents the unbroken chain of evidence, a goal in any investigation.

Through out this project, the use of text plays a central role in conveying the meaning of the drawings. For example, in Apprehension  I made a decision to use script instead of print to define the shape of the hand cuffs.  Script suggests the hand of the maker and I wanted this drawing to convey a sense of personal drama in both the cuffed offender and the arresting officer. The play on language reinforces this duality.

Cuffing a suspect can be an incredibly dangerous moment in the arresting process.  Officers have been injured or even shot when offenders struggle during the cuffing procedure. Knowing just how to speak to a suspect, what words to use and even body language can all aid the arresting officer in  securing a suspect peacefully.

Thin Blue Line Drawings