“He never had a birthday cake, so we ordered a birthday cake for him,” reads one plate. “He was only 15,” reads another dated July 23, 1945, with images of chicken drumsticks and watermelon. Yet another reads, ornately, “NONE,” dated May 22, 2002. These are just a few of the ceramic pieces comprising the expansive series The Last Supper by artist Julie L. Green (1961-2021).
Between 1999 and 2001, Green collected an array of mass-produced ceramic platters and plates, re-firing with the addition of cobalt blue mineral paint to illustrate everything from pizzas and lobster to pies and KFC cartons. The project was spurred by an Oklahoma newspaper clipping published in 1999 that described one man’s final meal, a feast including 10 or 15 shrimp, tater tots with ketchup, two slices of pecan pie, strawberry ice cream, honey and biscuits and a Coke.
“A final meal request humanizes death row for me,” Green said in a statement. “Selections provide clues on region, race, and economic background.” Even though names aren’t mentioned, the dates of the meals are noted along with the penitentiary’s state.
Some of final meals are well-documented, even legendary, such as Oklahoma city terrorist bomber Timothy McVeigh’s requested two pints of mint ice cream or John Wayne Gacy’s dozen fried shrimp, a bucket of original recipe KFC, french fries, and a pound of strawberries. There are also hundreds of stories that are never publicized.
Green sent formal requests to prisons to learn about the final meals of people housed there, and they quote some of the responses in the compositions, including if her request was denied. Over the past 50 years, 1,676 individuals have been executed in the U.S. All but 303 of those have taken place in the South, with Texas ordering 600 alone. In The Last Supper, Green chronicles an instance of humanity, small yet profound, that’s proffered to those within an inherently inhumane system.
This autumn, see The Last Supper at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, where it will be on view for a little more than a year, starting October 3. You might also be interested in Gil Batle’s porcelain series Double Life.
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Julie Green’s ‘The Last Supper’ Memorializes Hundreds of People’s Final Meals While on Death Row appeared first on Colossal.
