Sable Elyse Smith Responds to the Rigged Logic of the US Criminal Justice System

The artist's solo 2019 exhibition at the Carlos/Ishikawa gallery in London examined the faults of the United States criminal justice system.

Installation view of Sable Elyse Smith's solo exhibition Or the Song Spilling Out.

Image courtesy: © the artist, Carlos/Ishikawa, London and JTT, NYC.

Matthew MacLean's article for Frieze delves into Sable Elyse Smith's 2019 exhibition at the Carlos/Ishikawa gallery titled Or the Song Spilling Out. He digs into Smith's sculptures, which are reminiscent of standard-issue prison furniture, and screenprints of coloring books designed for young adults who have been exposed to the criminal justice system.

"For all its childish simplicity, this series conjures the experience of a system in which the rules are unknown and the odds are stacked like loaded dice."