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A Final Tomb for Frank "Jelly" Nash (Hand Signed)
A Final Tomb for Frank "Jelly" Nash (Hand Signed)

A Final Tomb for Frank "Jelly" Nash (Hand Signed)

By Robert Morris

Located in New York, NY

between text and art, and it is an example of Morris' preoccupation with the concept of prisons and cells

Category

1980s Minimalist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Henry Coombes, Sculpture Entitled "Umbrella" 2005; Mixed Media B 1977
Henry Coombes, Sculpture Entitled "Umbrella" 2005; Mixed Media B 1977

Henry Coombes, Sculpture Entitled "Umbrella" 2005; Mixed Media B 1977

By Henry Coombes

Located in London, GB

ultimately can not control, and if we try to hard it becomes dull illustration. I teach art in prison I see

Category

Early 2000s Scottish Contemporary Art

Materials

Paint, Fabric

“Torso of Christ”
“Torso of Christ”

“Torso of Christ”

By Malcolm Morley

Located in Southampton, NY

, and did not discover art until serving a three-year stint in Wormwood Scrubs prison. After release, he

Category

1980s Post-Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Non-Objective Drawing (Double sided composition)
Non-Objective Drawing (Double sided composition)

Non-Objective Drawing (Double sided composition)

By Rudolf Bauer

Located in Fairlawn, OH

artist lower right corner Created while the artist was imprisoned in a Gestapo Prison for his "Degenerate

Category

1930s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

"From Grief I Cannot Measure" - Collage Compostion
"From Grief I Cannot Measure" - Collage Compostion

"From Grief I Cannot Measure" - Collage Compostion

Located in Soquel, CA

maintaining a career as an artist, Moody also worked as the Art Program Director for Pelican Bay State Prison

Category

1990s Contemporary Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Magazine Paper, Pencil

19th Century French Straw Work Inlaid Folk Art Box
19th Century French Straw Work Inlaid Folk Art Box

19th Century French Straw Work Inlaid Folk Art Box

Located in Antwerp, BE

geometric and floral motifs. Straw work is most associated with the Folk Art genre call prison art. French

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Decorative Boxes

Materials

Straw

Home and Prison

Home and Prison

By James Casebere

Located in Danvers, MA

Home and Prison, 1993, edition of 24 with 3 artists proofs published by 21 Steps Editions

Category

1990s Post-Modern Still-life Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Trailer Prison, hand-inscribed copper sheet, black ink
Trailer Prison, hand-inscribed copper sheet, black ink

Trailer Prison, hand-inscribed copper sheet, black ink

Located in Toronto, Ontario

TRAILER PRISON by Rocky Dobey is a hand-inscribed copper sheet with black ink. It measures 60x36

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Outsider Art Mixed Media

Materials

Copper

Johnny Cash in Front of Folsom Prison Fine Art Print

Johnny Cash in Front of Folsom Prison Fine Art Print

By J.T. Phillips

Located in Las Vegas, NV

Black and white portrait of Johnny Cash in front of Folsom Prison. Johnny Cash was an American

Category

1960s Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, C Print, Archival Pigment

Collection of Vintage Prison Weapons and Shivs

Collection of Vintage Prison Weapons and Shivs

Located in Chicago, IL

Collection of vintage prison weapons and shivs.

Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Art

Materials

Metal

Johnny Cash at Cummins prison, 1969

Johnny Cash at Cummins prison, 1969

By Al Clayton

Located in New York, NY

Estate Stamped Limited Edition Please allow extra production time. Other sizes available.

Category

20th Century Contemporary Black and White Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Box Wood Prisons, Erin Armstrong, Acrylic on Canvas

Box Wood Prisons, Erin Armstrong, Acrylic on Canvas

By Erin Armstrong

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Armstrong's figurative works are juxtapositions of graphic patterns and decisive gestural markings in a variety of media.

Category

2010s Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

El Playboy

El Playboy

By Carlos Ramirez

Located in Jersey City, NJ

posters, prison art and tattoos, Ramirez’s is tremendously resourceful when creating his work and often

Category

20th Century Street Art Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Med U.S.A

Med U.S.A

By Carlos Ramirez

Located in Jersey City, NJ

posters, prison art and tattoos, Ramirez’s is tremendously resourceful when creating his work and often

Category

20th Century Street Art Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood

Vampire Boy

Vampire Boy

By Carlos Ramirez

Located in Jersey City, NJ

posters, prison art and tattoos, Ramirez’s is tremendously resourceful when creating his work and often

Category

20th Century Street Art Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

"Prison Hulk & Shipping off the Portsmouth Coast" Oil on Canvas, George Gregory
"Prison Hulk & Shipping off the Portsmouth Coast" Oil on Canvas, George Gregory

"Prison Hulk & Shipping off the Portsmouth Coast" Oil on Canvas, George Gregory

By George Gregory

Located in Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire

George Gregory British, (1849-1938) Prison Hulk & Shipping off the Portsmouth Coast Oil on

Category

Antique 19th Century English Victorian Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Mid-Century Prison Art Box from Cigarette Packs
Mid-Century Prison Art Box from Cigarette Packs

Mid-Century Prison Art Box from Cigarette Packs

Located in Forney, TX

A rare vintage prison art box, mid-20th century, colorful round folk art box with removable lid

Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art Outsider and Self Taught Art

Materials

Tin

Exemplary Prison Art Self-Portrait Painting by Joel Gaines, circa 1970s
Exemplary Prison Art Self-Portrait Painting by Joel Gaines, circa 1970s

Exemplary Prison Art Self-Portrait Painting by Joel Gaines, circa 1970s

By Joel Gaines

Located in Peabody, MA

State prison inmate Joel Gaines. This intimate and highly detailed scene of Gaines' life as an artist

Category

Vintage 1970s American Outsider Art Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Tall Hand Carved Wood Tramp Art Keepsake Box with Lid on Stand
Tall Hand Carved Wood Tramp Art Keepsake Box with Lid on Stand

Tall Hand Carved Wood Tramp Art Keepsake Box with Lid on Stand

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

Often known as “prison art” the most widely acknowledged term for this lovely carved wood piece of

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

CARCELES (Prison)
CARCELES (Prison)

CARCELES (Prison)

By Arturo Garcia Bustos

Located in Santa Monica, CA

ARTURO GARCIA BUSTOS (Mexican b. 1926- ) CARCELES (Prisons) c. 1955

Category

1950s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Linocut

In The Prison
In The Prison

In The Prison

By Howard Pyle

Located in Fort Washington, PA

: 25.00" x 18.00" May 1897 Century Magazine, Vol.54 Vol.5 Pg,33 Exhibitions: Allentown Art Museum

Category

1890s Interior Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Prison Fantasies 2
Prison Fantasies 2

Prison Fantasies 2

By David Alfaro Siqueiros

Located in Long Island City, NY

Prison Fantasies 2 David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican (1896–1974) Date: 1973 Lithograph on Arches

Category

1970s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Prison Drawing)
Untitled (Prison Drawing)

Untitled (Prison Drawing)

By Rudolf Bauer

Located in Columbia, MO

soon after. Though he showed artistic promise early in his education, the study of art was not

Category

Early 20th Century Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

S. Agata in prison Visited by S. Pietro
S. Agata in prison Visited by S. Pietro

S. Agata in prison Visited by S. Pietro

Located in Milan, IT

prison, a gray-haired old man entered her cell to medicate her, who revealed himself as St. Peter sent

Category

17th Century Other Art Style Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Confiscated Prison Shanks Shivs Presented in a Shadowbox
Confiscated Prison Shanks Shivs Presented in a Shadowbox

Confiscated Prison Shanks Shivs Presented in a Shadowbox

Located in Wiscasset, ME

These were from a retired guard who worked at a Mississippi prison.

Category

Vintage 1970s American Folk Art Decorative Art

Sunset. February. Tower of the Bratsk prison. Kolomenskoye
Sunset. February. Tower of the Bratsk prison. Kolomenskoye

Sunset. February. Tower of the Bratsk prison. Kolomenskoye

By Simon Kozhin

Located in Zofingen, AG

This tower in Kolomenskoye Park appeared in 1959 after the flooding of the Bratsk Reservoir. The Bratsk fort was founded in the 1630s on the banks of the Angara River - not far from ...

Category

2010s Impressionist Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

The encrypted prison of time - Fig. I

The encrypted prison of time - Fig. I

By Vladimir Velickovic

Located in Paris, FR

Etching, 1977 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated HC X/XXI Publisher : Fata Morgana 56.00 cm. x 36.00 cm. 22.05 in. x 14.17 in. (paper) 41.00 cm. x 26.00 cm. 16.14 in....

Category

1970s Abstract Abstract Prints

Materials

Etching

Caged Prison Clock, 1960s USA
Caged Prison Clock, 1960s USA

Caged Prison Clock, 1960s USA

Located in Los Angeles, CA

This striking prison clock brings gritty industrial charm and a dash of dark humor to any space

Category

Vintage 1960s American Art Deco Wall Clocks

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-20th Century Prison of War Straw Box
Mid-20th Century Prison of War Straw Box

Mid-20th Century Prison of War Straw Box

Located in London, GB

Mid-20th century prison of war straw box. A fine example of a mid-20th Century prisoner of war

Category

Mid-20th Century British Folk Art Decorative Boxes

Materials

Straw, Pine

Tankerton Bay Large British Pop Art Screenprint Lithograph
Tankerton Bay Large British Pop Art Screenprint Lithograph

Tankerton Bay Large British Pop Art Screenprint Lithograph

By Malcolm Morley

Located in Surfside, FL

Wormwood Scrubs prison. After release, he studied art first at the Camberwell School of Arts and then at

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph, Screen

Rectangular Carved Wood Tramp Art or Prison Art Hanging Photo Frame, 1800s
Rectangular Carved Wood Tramp Art or Prison Art Hanging Photo Frame, 1800s

Rectangular Carved Wood Tramp Art or Prison Art Hanging Photo Frame, 1800s

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

Tramp art is a woodworking style in which small pieces of wood, (primarily from discarded cigar

Category

Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Picture Frames

Materials

Metal

One of a Kind Marlboro Art Chair/ Sculpture
One of a Kind Marlboro Art Chair/ Sculpture

One of a Kind Marlboro Art Chair/ Sculpture

Located in North Miami, FL

is from the genre of prison art meets Folk Art. The boxes were folded and weaved and took years of

Category

Vintage 1960s American Modern Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paper

Carved Coconut Shell Box from Nicaragua, 1904
Carved Coconut Shell Box from Nicaragua, 1904

Carved Coconut Shell Box from Nicaragua, 1904

Located in Point Richmond, CA

coconut shells are often prison art. Minor repair to crack at the lid.

Category

Antique Early 1900s Nicaraguan Other Decorative Boxes

Materials

Coconut

Toy Prison
Toy Prison

Toy Prison

By James Rosenquist

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: James Rosenquist, American (1933 - ) Title: Toy Prison Year: 1972 Medium: Silkscreen

Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Prison Folk Art Carved Letter Opener
Prison Folk Art Carved Letter Opener

Prison Folk Art Carved Letter Opener

Located in Ferndale, MI

Souvenir of Marquette Prison

Category

Vintage 1940s American Sculptures and Carvings

Prison Fantasies 1
Prison Fantasies 1

Prison Fantasies 1

By David Alfaro Siqueiros

Located in Long Island City, NY

Prison Fantasies 1 David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican (1896–1974) Date: 1973 Lithograph on Arches

Category

1970s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Prison Fantasies 4
Prison Fantasies 4

Prison Fantasies 4

By David Alfaro Siqueiros

Located in Long Island City, NY

Prison Fantasies 4 David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican (1896–1974) Date: 1973 Lithograph, signed and

Category

1970s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Prison Fantasies 6
Prison Fantasies 6

Prison Fantasies 6

By David Alfaro Siqueiros

Located in Long Island City, NY

Prison Fantasies 6 David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican (1896–1974) Date: 1973 Lithograph, signed and

Category

1970s Expressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

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Prison Art For Sale on 1stDibs

Find the exact piece of prison art you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. There are many Contemporary, Modern and Photorealist versions of these works for sale. If you’re looking for an item from our selection of prison art from a specific time period, our collection is diverse and broad-ranging, and you’ll find at least one that dates back to the 18th Century while another version may have been produced as recently as the 21st Century. On 1stDibs, the right choice in our collection of prison art is waiting for you and the choices span a range of colors that includes black, gray, beige and blue. There have been many interesting object in our assortment of prison art examples over the years, but those made by Michal Chelbin, Al Clayton, Jim Marshall, Purvis Young and Arturo Garcia Bustos are often thought to be among the most thought-provoking. Artworks like these of any era or style can make for thoughtful decor in any space, but a selection from our variety of those made in archival pigment print, pigment print and paint can add an especially memorable touch.

How Much is a Prison Art?

A piece of prison art can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price for items in our inventory is $1,721, while the lowest priced sells for $222 and the highest can go for as much as $47,190.
Questions About Prison Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Prison art is art made by inmates in prison, often as part of a program to develop skills and reintegrate back into society. These art pieces can also help change society’s perception of prisoners. Shop a range of prison art pieces from top sellers on 1stDibs.