Eugene Delacroix's epic and controversial revolutionary painting, (hidden for many years by the French monarchy so as not to risk inciting further rebellions), Liberty Leading the People, was the inspiration for the signature painting of this selection of work. In my rendition, as in the era in which we find ourselves-- an era in which more people in the United States are incarcerated per capita than in any other country in the world, I have portrayed Delacroix’s “Liberté”-- the vanguard of feminine strength and grace in action-- in the form of an inmate woman and firefighter.

In October 2018, I was at Leo Carrillo Beach with a friend-- a Malibu resident-- watching a group of young women, clad in orange jumpsuits, hanging out, joking, enjoying the day. It turns out they were enrolled in the Conservation (Fire) Camp Program-- a joint initiative between the California Department of Corrections and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection that trains non-violent offenders to fight fires. A month later, I had planned to visit my Malibu friend, however, the night before was when the now infamous Woolsey fire ignited: within hours my friends along with some 250,000 people were evacuated.

Salvavidas: Inmate Firefighters of Malibu celebrates the firefighters-- of whom 30-40% were prisoners--whose fearlessness saved nearly all of the quarter of a million people evacuated. On a broader level-- the piece highlights the inherent dignity of women laborers and incarcerated women the world over.

“Salvavidas- Inmate Firefighters of Malibu”

By Erin Currier