PUBLIC MARKS with tags tatoo & "prison valley"

since 2009, american artist holly pitre has continued working on the long-term collaboration 'sorry I haven’t written in so long', which explores the nature of connection through a multi-project collection with her incarcerated brother. by maintaining communication with her sibling primarily through the letters they write to each other, 'the penitentiary tattoo gun' series, interprets her brother's concise with written instructions in order to build a group of tattoo machines similar to those made and used by inmates in his institution. using a toothbrush, ball-point ink pen, cassette player parts and aa batteries, the contraption becomes fully motorized.