Art Event #1- Gabiela Bulisova's "Time Zone"

Gabriela Bulisova is a documentary photographer and multimedia artist from Washington, DC. Her work examines individuals who are underrepresented around the world and in the US. On February 20th, she visited St. Mary's to present her film "Time Zone", which was a collaborative piece made with Lashonia Etheridge-Bey. Lashonia, raised in one of the most violent parts of DC, was imprisoned for half of her life for a double murder. After being paroled December 2011, she and Gabriela worked together on "Time Zone" to document her and her family's struggles while she tried to reenter society. 

Gabriela became interested in the justice system and prison after being asked to explore the topic of "war". Having often seen the issue through a universal viewpoint, she decided to look at it on a more individual level. Seeing individuals trying to reenter society after incarceration then inspired her to document these people's struggles. Before presenting her film, she addressed the many challenges a person recently released has to face- their family may have been living years without that individual present, their home and possessions may have been taken away, and their chances of employment are minimal at best with their criminal record. With all of these odds stacked against them, the individual is at a constant "war" trying to reestablish their place in society without returning to crime. 

The movie following Lashonia presented an in-depth understanding of her struggles, and the tensions still present in her family after her imprisonment. I found Lashonia herself to also be very insightful and open about her own situation- she addressed what led to her committing her crime, although the factors of family life and environment were no excuse for her actions. She additionally said that the current system may be flawed, but individuals who have committed crimes still need some form of punishment. Gabriela clearly made a careful decision in picking her subjects for her photographs and documentaries- the stories she focuses on defy the typical stereotypes of people who have been imprisoned. The viewer is then forced to examine the people in her work as human beings, and not simply as criminals. 

Gabriela's photographs from "Time Zone" and her other work can be seen on her website.