These study guides were created for Barring Freedom, a group exhibition which highlights the roles of the arts in the struggle for prison abolition. The artworks from the exhibition are organized into five themes of engagement as related to the issues of prisons and abolition: a brief introduction to the problem and the role of art in this struggle, the histories that structure our current system of incarceration and policing, the ways the carceral state shapes a vision of the world, bridging the distance between inside and outside the prison, and imagining possibilities for abolitionist futures.

Credits: Alexandra Moore, Abram Stern, Aaron Samuel Mulenga, Chloe Murr

Using the Study Guides

We intend for these resources to act as pathways through the different artworks and artist interviews. They are available to anyone interested in thinking critically about prisons and policing. We believe that art—and the forms of poetic, nonlinear thinking that it encourages—can open the issues in novel ways, offering compelling routes into challenging discussion topics.

Each study guide contains a selection of artworks and short clips from the artist interviews that exemplify the theme, as well as quotes from selected key readings and links to other relevant artworks from the exhibition. There are questions throughout to encourage reflection, and at the bottom of the guides are suggested further readings and resources.

The index of keywords can be used to navigate among the artworks independent of the study guides, showing other connections and providing different modes of entry from the four highlighted themes.

For Students

Each study guide introduces you to a range of artists and artworks as well as articles and books that delve more deeply into the themes discussed. The study guides are structured around broad questions and include places for you to pause and reflect. We hope you will find an artist or artwork that intrigues you and that you follow your curiosity into the wealth of materials available.

For Instructors

The study guides can be used by instructors across disciplines who are interested in integrating visual art into their teaching. Study guide text and videos can be assigned as asynchronous material along with one or more of the cited readings, while the questions posed throughout the guides can be used for live discussions. For instructors at UC Santa Cruz who would like further assistance integrating these materials into your course, please contact ias@ucsc.edu. If you develop a teaching activity based on these materials, please let us know; we would love to hear how these contribute to teaching and learning on campus.

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Learn More

Barring Freedom Introduction

Barring Freedom: US Histories and Structures

Carceral Visuality

From the Inside Out

Abolition Futures

Index & Bibliography