Deborah Luster is a visual artist engaged in an ongoing exploration of violence and its consequences. She is best known for her long-term documentary/archive series.

One Big Self: Prisoners of Louisiana, (with poet, C.D. Wright) was begun a decade after the contract killing of Luster’s mother. For this project she set out to create an authentic document of Louisiana’s prison population through image and text. From 1998 to 2003, she photographed more than 1,500 inmates at three Louisiana prisons, including the infamous Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The resulting collection of 5” x 4” amber-toned portraits printed on aluminum plates and placed loosely in the drawers of a black steel cabinet for viewers to examine, is a composite of universal and particular realities that reflects upon private loss, individual lives, language, public policy and institutions, and violence.

In her 2003 monograph (Twin Palms Publishing), she writes, “I chose to photograph each person as they presented their very own selves before my camera on the chance that I might be fortunate enough to contact, as the poet Jack Gilbert writes, ‘their hearts in their marvelous cases.’”

Tooth for an Eye: A Chorography of Violence in Orleans Parish (Twin Palms Publishing, 2011) is a photographic archive documenting contemporary and historical homicide sites in New Orleans. The result is an exploratory mapping of the dizzyingly empty space at the core of violence. In exhibition, the tondo images comprising Tooth for an Eye are presented as framed photographs as well as an archive of image and text, bound in six large ledgers which are displayed on a sweet gum, hickory, and steel viewing table which viewers are invited to browse and handle.

Luster’s awards include a 2016 Robert Gardner Fellowship from the Peabody Museum, Harvard University; a 2013 Guggenheim Fellowship; residencies at the Rauschenberg Residency and the Irish Museum of Modern Art; a Dorothea Lange—Paul Taylor Prize for documentary photography from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University (with C.D. Wright); an Anonymous Was a Woman Award; The John Guttman Award; the Bucksbaum Family Award for American Photography; and a Peter S. Reed Foundation Award.

Her work is included in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the National Gallery of Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; The Smithsonian American Art Museum; New Orleans Museum of Art; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Pier 24, San Francisco; the Margulies Collection, Miami; and other notable public and private collections.

Luster lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galway, Ireland. Her work is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery. 

Other videos in this series

01:07
Michelle Dorrance wears a black zippered jacket over a black v-neck t-shirt and dark slacks. The phrase "Art Is Social Change" appears to the left.

Michelle Dorrance on how tap represents social change

Art can represent social change, and tap dancer Michelle Dorrance believes the history of American culture can be seen in the history of tap—early tap dancers were catalysts for social change. By referencing the past and showing a vision for the future, dance can change the world.

01:05
Sandra Cisneros wears a black long-sleeved dress and ornate silver and turquoise necklace, bracelet, and rings. The phrase "Art Is representation" appears to the right.

Sandra Cisneros on how art changes lives

Art can change lives for the better. Author Sandra Cisneros writes books that allow young people to see themselves represented on the page. As she says, when people see themselves represented in a way that is empowering, they feel more able to make a difference in the world.

01:02
Samuel Hoi wears a black blazer over a white button-down shirt. The phrase "Art Is a Human Right" appears to the left.

Samuel Hoi on art and human rights

Art is a way to shift reality and make an impact beyond the cultural field. Samuel Hoi cites Good Chance Theater staging shows at a refugee camp in northern France as an example of how art can uplift human rights.

01:06
Robin Coste wears a black long-sleeved dress. The phrase "Art Is access" appears to the right.

Robin Coste Lewis on how art creates access

Art can be a tool of resistance and beauty. Poet Robin Coste Lewis details how poetry helped her see her body as an aesthetic and political tool, and how art can allow marginalized communities to be seen and included.

01:07
Postcommodity left to right; Kade twist wears a black blazer over a blue and white checkered button-down shirt. Raven Chacon wears a dark gray blazer over a gray button-down shirt. Cristóbal Martínez wears a black blazer over a gray crewneck t-shirt with a white graphic. The phrase "Art Is dialogue" appears above them.

Postcommodity on using art to dialogue

Art can be used to create dialogue between people and break “us-versus-them” mentalities. The collective Postcommodity discusses how it uses art to uplift communities and ensure they have agency to communicate their own needs and desires.

01:07
Ping Chong wears a burgundy button-down shirt over a white undershirt. The phrase "Art Is action" appears to the right.

Ping Chong on using art to empower and heal

Art allows us to re-anchor into our humanity. In his work, artist Ping Chong creates spaces for ordinary citizens to speak their own truth on stage. In this way, he heals and affirms people, and helps create a society that’s more just and more humane.

01:07
P Carl wears a black blazer with white rolled-up sleeves over a dark gray crew neck t-shirt. The phrase "Art Is political" appears to the left.

P Carl on the power of curation

Art has to be connected to the politics of our world, because it can bring us together in ways politics can’t. Theater director P Carl believes theater should be curated with the idea that everyone belongs, and in this way, it can help connect people to the issues that really matter.

01:07
Nikky Finney wears a gray zippered vest over a black long-sleeved crew neck top. The phrase "Art Is Hope" appears to the right.

Nikky Finney on using art for change

Art can connect us across time. Poet Nikky Finney draws on stories from the past to challenge artists to continue their efforts for social change. She believes artists should heed lessons from the past and bring them into the future.

01:07
Mira Nair wears a black long-sleeved dress with a light gray feathered pattern. The phrase "Art Is Culture" appears to the right.

Mira Nair on cultural representation

Art gives us the ability to see other cultures and to look at the world anew. Director Mira Nair uses film to tell stories of marginalized communities that are not often represented on screen. She believes art can help people see their place in the world.

01:06
Alicia Hall, a black woman, is wearing a rosewood-colored dress, and Jason Moran, a black man, is wearing a dark blazer and a blue flower patterned button-down shirt. The phrase "Art Is Possibility" appears between them.

Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran on how art is possibility

Art has the power to make a big impact in our world. Musicians and educators Alicia Hall Moran and Jason Moran believe art has the potential to connect people and challenge inequalities. Through art, we can bridge the gap between past and present, and learn more about each other.

01:07
Luis Alfaro wears a straw pork pie hat, a black guayabera shirt, and black slacks. The phrase "Art Is Powerful" appears to the left.

Luis Alfaro on the power of art and imagination

Art is powerful. Playwright Luis Alfaro shares how he uses art to stimulate the imaginations of those who might not be able to see a better life for themselves. He writes plays with narratives that allow people to envision themselves as free in the world.

01:07
Lori Pourier wears a blue suit over a light blue blouse and has a multicolored scarf around her neck. The phrase "Art Is Identity" appears to the right.

Lori Pourier on the link between art and identity

Art allows us to reveal our identities. President of First Peoples Fund Lori Pourier sees artists as changemakers in society who can help restore history and educate us about our past. In this way, artists can restore both public history and personal identity.

01:07
Michel de Nonó wears a black top with white embroidery and large framed eyeglasses. Lydela de Nonó wears a multicolored floral pattern top over a mustard-colored shirt and has a sizeable pendant necklace. The phrase "Art Is Opportunity" appears between them.

Las Nietas de Nonó on creating opportunities with art

Art gives us the opportunity to create change in communities. The art duo Las Nietas de Nonó use art to share voices of underserved communities in Puerto Rico. They believe in creating theater in alternative spaces, where people’s voices can be heard and a genuine exchange of voices takes place.

01:07
Joy Harjo, in a white button-down shirt with black trim, a black blazer, and slacks. The phrase "Art Is vision" appears to the right.

Joy Harjo on how artists have vision

Artists can give vision to a community. Poet Joy Harjo uses her art to strive for gender justice. She believes artists have a responsibility towards growing the communities they’re in, creating a vision for those around them and fostering compassion.

01:09
Esperanza Spalding, a black woman, is wearing a charcoal gray v-neck sweater over a pink button-down blouse with black polka dots. The phrase "Art Is Practice" appears to her right.

Esperanza Spalding on art as a practice

Art can help heal people. Grammy-winning musician Esperanza Spalding believes artists, through practicing their craft, can experiment and reposition their work to find the best ways to help and encourage people to transform negative situations for the better.

01:07
Edwidge Danticat, a black woman, is wearing an oversized black collared sweater over a black top. The phrase "Art Is Connection" appears to her left.

Edwidge Danticat on how literature connects us

Art can transport us to different places and connect us to each other. Novelist Edwidge Danticat uses her writing to share stories that dispel stereotypes and help foster greater understanding. She believes that breaking bias is done through sharing stories.

01:06
Carlton Turner, a black man, is wearing a gray striped suit, a dark blue button-down shirt, and a brown tie with light dots. The phrase "Art Is Transformation" appears to his right.

Carlton Turner on how art transforms culture

Artists are cultural strategists working to eliminate oppression and dismantle inequality, says performance artist Carlton Turner. He explains how artists take community work and engage in social transformation by giving voice to those who’ve been disenfranchised. Communities can shift because of the work artists are doing.