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22 Men

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Colour photograph of a series of 22 rectangular copper panels, each sculpted to resemble a different face, placed on six shelves in a darkened space. There are four vertical bars in front of the masks, appearing as prison bars.

22 Men

Date: 2022
Artist: Emma Ruth Williams (British)
Dimensions:
Installation: 230 x 140 x 170cm
Individual copper maks: approx. 21 x 15cm each
Medium: Copper, wood, fabric, LED lighting
Object number: UAC 1081
DescriptionWilliams studied MA Art and Science at Central Saint Martins. She says:
'I believe that that artists' work can effect change and I aim to get people talking. My ongoing work is around empathy, forensics, justice, and the death penalty. The execution of US citizen Larry Swearingen (thought by some professionals to be innocent) in 2019, was the inspiration to create work on this subject. This case highlighted the injustice of innocent people being executed. '22 Men' consists of 22 individual beaten copper masks within a wooden and fabric booth. The 22 names of men executed, posthumously thought to be innocent, depicted in this work, were given to me by a human rights lawyer.'