LIVE FROM THE CELL BLOCK: Will Livingston and His Silk Screen Machine
The remarkable story of Will Livingston and the equally remarkable body of work he created in the most unlikely circumstance— a prison cell.
In 2010, artist and musician Will Livingston hit and killed a man while driving drunk and was sentenced to forty years in prison. Over many years, Will built a silk screen machine and began making concert posters for his favorite bands. Live from the Cell Block, dedicated to his victim, includes all of Will’s concert posters as well as essays from Adrian Brune, the journalist who covered Will’s story, and Wendy Jason, executive director of the Justice Arts Coalition, a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of incarcerated artists. “I had to find some way to redeem my life. Thankfully, I found it,” Will said. “Will was sent to prison with little hope and managed to turn his life around. His transformation is nothing short of a miracle,” Brune added. Live from the Cell Block, published by Brick of Gold in partnership with Justice Arts Coalition and City Winery, is the remarkable story of Will Livingston and the equally remarkable body of work he created in the most unlikely circumstances.
—
"Will Livingston's art and journey show us what it means to create a life of significance and to find one's way while held captive by America's punishment system."
-Dr. Nicole R. Fleetwood (Author and curator of Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration)
—
"I love a lot of bands in this book. When I saw the poster artwork, it was like taking a journey through my own personal musical past."
-Michael Dorf (Founder of the Knitting Factory and City Winery)
—
"This book is a testament to Will’s creativity, passion, tenacity, compassion, tenderness, and grace. Please handle it with care, just as he handles every paintbrush, guitar, and human heart he touches."
-Wendy Jason (Founding Director, Justice Arts Coalition)
—
"Will was caught. Others are not. Incarceration is rarely about who a person is, but merely what they have done. When people make mistakes, and then take responsibility and do better, it’s really less of a mistake and more of a lesson. It is possible to redeem oneself behind bars. It’s inspiring and remarkable."
-Penny Pitchlynn (LABRYS)