Daniel Selman

I am an inmate in a Federal Prison. Before going to prison I used to buy, sell and collect modern art and mid century modern furniture & accessories. Upon going to prison I found myself isolated and needing to find something to do with my time. While I was in the Federal Detention Center in Milan, MI, I started experimenting with the thought of creating my own art. I had no supplies whatsoever so I cut chunks of my hair and wrapped one end of my locks of hair with mailing labels to create a "paintbrush". Then I used powdered drink mix packs that were provided with our meals to create "paint". I then went to the book racks and found hardcover books that I ripped the 1st and last blank pages out of for my "canvases". With these supplies I started creating my own works based on what I loved, influenced by my favorite artists like Willem DeKooning, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hoffman, etc. With my early creations, I found a way to spend my time and really start to be able to cope with the sheer loneliness of incarceration. As I progressed, I incorporated shoe polish and "Prison Gray" latex in my artwork that I was able to get from the maintenance dept. run by other inmates. In time I started to create some p...

Troy H.S. graduate 1984, Oakland Community College 1986, Jackson Collage, 2019.

Raw Vision Magazine November 2017