Michelle Repiso

Basic Necessities, documents three individuals and the mechanisms they used to sustain their humanity while incarcerated. This installation focuses on creativity, communication, and imagination in an unlikely place. All three men served time for the crimes they committed and sought human connection to help better themselves and others.

Shane, was incarcerated for a total of seven years due to a string of bank robberies that he committed in 2007. During his time in solitary confinement, and throughout his incarceration, Shane created art and sculptures out of basic necessities which consisted of toilet paper, water, and soap.

Chessboard made using a manila folder and chess pieces made from toilet paper and ink. Press play to listen to Shane speak about his experience.

Shane continued playing chess while in solitary confinement. Chess pieces were created out of toilet paper and a numbering system was shouted to-and-fro from his cell to another player indicating what move to make on the board. Press play to listen to Shane speak about his experience.

Coss, was selling drugs on the Lower East Side in Manhattan from the age of thirteen. His drug dealing lifestyle continued until it finally caught up with him. He spent his adolescent years in-and-out of jail until eventually he was sentenced to seven years in prison. Coss maintained his strength by reading the Bible, motivating others with fitness training, and making prison burritos as a way to bond with those around him.

Coss maintained his strength by reading the Bible and throughout his incarceration he started transforming his life by helping others through fitness. He is now the founder and CEO of CONBODY.

An elephant made out of soap and water. Some soap sculptures were given as gifts to the guys inside or as gifts to family members during visitation.

All personal belongings fill this sack when someone is transferred to various cells during their incarceration. Pictured here are letters and books from Coss.

Three of the many journals that Shane and Juan “Jimmy” would use to express their ideas, stories, poems and general musings of the world around them. Tandem journal entries were a way to be creative and have a shared experience throughout their incarceration. Shane in pencil and Juan in pen.

Juan “Jimmy”, is an artist from the Bronx. He was incarcerated for a gang-related attempted murder and established a brotherly friendship with Shane that consisted of playing music, art, and writing poetry while they both were incarcerated.

A page from a joint notebook they would share.

Filmed at CONBODY

Shane talking about the pieces he created out of toilet paper.

Basic Necessities (building facade)

“Our meals brought us together for special occasions when there weren’t any race wars for that single day. It demonstrated peace and a sense of unity where most of the time in prison, Hispanics and Black men would segregate.” Coss Marte

A prison-made alcoholic drink “hootch” made from bread and fermenting fruit.

When Coss was in solitary confinement he needed a stamp to mail a letter. When he turned to the Bible that his sister had given him a while back the stamp fell out and Coss saw this as a sign to change his life around. Coss maintained his strength by reading the Bible and throughout his incarceration, he started transforming his life by helping others through fitness. He is now the founder and CEO of CONBODY in the Lower East Side of NY.