Neighborhood Gang Tattoo

by Donald C-Note Hooker

Title

Neighborhood Gang Tattoo

Artist

Donald C-Note Hooker

Medium

Drawing - Graphite On Paper

Description

"Neighborhood Gang Tattoo" is a work of Graphite on paper by American prison artist Donald "C-Note" Hooker. On January 1, 2000, C-Note was in solitary confinement as the result of a prison riot between African Americans and prison guards at High Desert State Prison on November 22, 1999, a few days prior to Thanksgiving.

High Desert State Prison is a California prison nestled in the Sierra-Nevada Mountain range. The prison is so remote, if trying to reach the prison from inside the State of California, one must travel into the neighboring State of Nevada, and then travel back into California in order to reach High Desert State Prison. In 2015, press reports, such as Associated Press News widely reported on the State of California's Inspector General's report findings that High Desert State Prison was a ran by racist to which prisoners suffered abuse.

As a result of the African American prison population conducting a peaceful protesting due to inhumane treatment, prison guards were ordered to attack these prisoners who were participating in a peaceful sit down protest. It was during this time of solitary confinement that C-Note began to express himself through drawing. Later, as a means to supplement the State issued food rations, C-Note began creating artwork he could barter with other prisoners who had non-State issued food from the prison commissary, or food from packages supplied to them by their families.

Since many in prison were out of the gang culture of Los Angeles, C-Note would create the kinds of artwork gang members would be interested in tattooing on their bodies. These works generally consisted of some hand sign, generally connected to one particular gang in their use. Another feature employed by C-Note was his use of an animated human skeleton.

Here, an animated human skeleton is throwing up a hand sign representing the Letter "N." The "N" represents the street vernacular "Neighborhood." The largest African American gang out of Los Angeles are the Neighborhood Crips. However, there are Blood Gangs that are Neighborhood Bloods as well.

Uploaded

November 30th, 2022

Statistics

Viewed 1,542 Times  -  Last Visitor from New York, NY on 12/09/2023 at 9:53 AM

Colors

Embed

Share

Sales Sheet

Tags