Behind the Bars

Description

Behind the Bars
24” x 18” Graphite on Paper | Signed Pamela Watson, 2020

Behind the Bars is part of a nine-drawing series created by Pamela Watson during the 2020 pandemic—a body of work born from meditative prayer and deep personal reflection. Each piece in the series addresses a pressing issue that weighed on the artist’s heart during a time of global upheaval.

This drawing was inspired by Pamela’s deep concern for children separated from their families in detention centers—a humanitarian crisis made even more devastating by the spread of COVID-19 in such confined spaces. Using the image of lambs penned for auction, she conveys the innocence and vulnerability of those children, as well as the systems that confine them.

Unlike the other drawings in the series, Behind the Bars places the figures fully within their restrictive environment, with the visible bars of the pen serving as both literal and symbolic barriers. The quiet strength of the graphite medium underscores the weight of the subject matter.

This is not just a historical reflection—it represents an ongoing issue that remains of great concern to the artist today.