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Name:
Dan Sloan |
Category:
Paintings and Drawings |
Location:
Chicago, Illinois |
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The State of Illinois requires all who have committed the following crimes (both male and female) to register as a Sex Offender:
# Indecent Solicitation of a Child;
# Sexual Exploitation of a Child;
# Soliciting for a Juvenile Prostitute;
# Keeping a place of Juvenile Prostitution;
# Patronizing a Juvenile Prostitute;
# Juvenile Pimping;
# Statutory Rape
# Exploitation of a Child;
# Possession of Child Pornography;
# Criminal Sexual Assault;
# Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault;
# Predatory Crimial Sexual Assault of a Child;
# Criminal Sexual Abuse, when a felony;
# Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse;
# Ritualized Abuse of a Child;
# Forcible Detention, if the victim is under age 18;
# Indecent Solicitation of an Adult;
# Soliciting for a Prostitute, if the victim is under age 18;
# Pandering, if the victim is under age 18;
# Patronizing, if the victim is under age 18;
# Pimping, if the victim is under age 18;
# Public Indecency for a third or subsequent conviction;
# Custodial Sexual Misconduct;
# Permitting Sexual Abuse of a Child;
# Kidnapping, if the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is not a parent of the victim;
# Aggravated Kidnapping, if the victim is under age 18 and defendant is not the parent of the victim;
# Unlawful Restraint, if the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is not the parent of the victim;
# Aggravated Unlawful Restraint, if the victim is under age 18 and the defendant is not the parent of the victim;
# Child Abduction by luring a child under 16 into a vehicle or building;
# First Degree Murder of a Child, victim under age 18;
This body of portraits examines the label of “Registered Sex Offender” or more often “Sex Offender,” its connotations, uses and misuses, and surrounding tragedy (past, present, and future). The images are acquired from the Illinois State Sex Offender Registry website which displays the name, physical statistics, address, photo and conviction of all compliant offenders. This database is meant for use by concerned citizens who want to protect themselves and their loved ones. Despite the seemingly good intentions of the state of Illinois this database serves as a digital freak show. Since the birth of political correctness and civil rights movements live freak shows have disappeared in the U.S. But America’s appetite for gawking at the queer has not waned. Those wily enough are able to sate their freak show-thirst via other means such as state registries for sex offenders. Perhaps most are not willing to admit the joy of gawking at the truly odd societal detritus, but there can be no denying RSOs’ occupation of postmodern freak show performers stripped of their privacy.
The specific crime each subject has been convicted of is not relevant to their selection. The viewer’s ignorance of the specific crime is addressed by the overarching label of “Registered Sex Offender.” The viewer is not asked to gawk, but to understand the subject with a limited amount of empathy while still retaining any disgust, hostility, or fascination they may have. The subjects and the viewer can share a gaze safely so that the viewer may ponder, imagine, or guess the subject’s crime, traits, personality and, most importantly, their assumed tragic history from a safe location without the threat of confrontation or physical harm.
The portraits are of Chicagoland Offenders painted as true to the original image as possible without embellishment of undesirable traits or other bias and painted to match the intensity of the, once digital, then printed colors.
Certain questions arise when rationally contemplating this subject: How are registered sex offenders supposed to re-enter society when they are forever reminded of their crime (or are they even able to be functioning members of society)? What's the incentive to straighten-up and fly right? Should a one-time statutory rapist be listed alongside someone who has serially raped 4 year olds? Is someone who killed a minor a sexual offender?” and so on.
Gallergist since 05/12/04
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