Reception: Fresh Fish, 2015

Hailing from San Francisco, Gil Batle spent more than 20 years in and out of prison for fraud and forgery. During his time behind bars, Batle began drawing to pass the time. His abilities quickly evolved and he started tattooing his fellow inmates in exchange for protection from prison violence. Today, Batle recounts the stories of these murderers, drug dealers and armed robbers in intricate detail on fragile ostrich egg shells. These delicate reliefs serve as tiny relics of the viciousness of life inside. Each carved orb has several small panels of pictures, supported and separated by a framework of chain-link fencing or razor-wire.
Batle’s work featured here is an excellent example of the contradictions inherent in his medium and art. The egg represents the beginning of life and innocence, while the delightfully intricate images subtly illustrate a life of hard choices and expose a seedier underbelly of American life.