I was lucky enough to creep through a turn-of-the-century prison (once it was closed down) with Sour VRS, back in the day. The layers of peeling lead paint with twisted pencil drawings from interned inmates screamed of desperation and despair. I remember one room with an amazing floor to ceiling G n' R Appetite cross with skulls on the ends that was painted full color in a tiny two bunk cell...
Well, this zine is not that, however it is the closest stuff I've seen since. JESUSE IS WITH YOU is a full zine of prisoner graffiti from Pittsburgh's Western Prison, which looks like a ancient castle and was open during the civil war. It finally closed sometime after 2017 and Richard Whitefield got in there to take some really great photos. The zine is very well printed and succeeds in showing many details of the graffiti and the wall textures. You can get a strong sense of the inner-workings of these prisoner's minds, living in one of America's oldest and darkest prisons. "Free Speaker Wire... 15 mo", distorted eternal calendars, and lots of silhouetted dream women. If you love graffiti for the innate, primative, and social, then this zine is for you.
JESUSE IS WITH YOU - RICHARD WHITEFIELD
limited edition
44 pages, black and white printing on thick paper, staple bound - 5.5" x 8.5"
** Postage Paid in the USA **
design & production : RICHARD WHITEFIELD - 2024
Western PA