American photographer Jackie Black has recreated the last meals requested by prisoners on death row before their executions, as part of a project aiming to prompt deeper understanding of the US death-penalty system.
Black gathered background information on the prisoners, including their education, occupation and final statements. The meals were meticulously reproduced from official records.
Among the last statements recorded were expressions of remorse, claims of innocence, and critiques of the justice system. One prisoner said: 'I am truly sorry for your loss... but I didn't kill anyone.' Another stated: 'I hope that one day we can look back on the evil that we're doing right now like the witches we burned at the stake.'
The project, titled 'Last Meals', is on display at the Parrish Art Museum in New York. Black hopes viewers will question their own motives and complicity with the justice system.
