READING, PA.- Albright College’s Freedman Gallery is presenting a solo-exhibition of the work of Susan Crile: “Incarceration in the Era of Impending Fascism.”

“Incarceration in the Era of Impending Fascism” focuses on the incarceration and illegal torture of prisoners by the United States Government, at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, in black sites around the world and at Guantánamo Bay Prison in Cuba. This exhibition is the first time that Crile’s “Abu Ghraib; abuse of power” and “In Our Name: Guantánamo and Black Sites” series have been exhibited together.

The Abu Ghraib works interpret the photographs taken by US army personnel of prisoners being brutalized or sexually humiliated at Abu Ghraib prison that were subsequently leaked to the press and public in 2004. The Guantanamo & black sites series is based on testimonies of the prisoners, their lawyers and human rights organizations, ask us to witness what torture is.

“This season we have adopted a general theme of social justice,” said David M. Tanner, director of Albright’s Center for the Arts. “Many of our productions and projects in art, music, theatre, fashion and dance will investigate how the arts can impact issues related to inequalities and injustices in our society. Susan Crile’s work selected for exhibition at the Freedman Gallery delves deep into issues related to the torture and treatment of prisoners of war, particularly in the highly publicized incidents surrounding Abu Ghraib, and later, Guantanamo. Considering how many of our students were toddlers when unofficial photographs from Abu Ghraib hit the internet, it’s imperative that a college gallery steeped in an educational mission gives attention to work of this nature and artistic caliber.”

Works by Crile are in many important collections including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., Cleveland Museum of Art among others.

The Freedman Gallery at Albright College, named after former Albright trustee and alumna Doris Chanin Freedman, is located on the ground floor of the Center for the Arts. Since its inception, the gallery focuses primarily on contemporary, living, American artists and hosts approximately ten exhibitions each year rotating in the main gallery and project space. Freedman Gallery is located at 13th & Bern Streets, Reading, PA 19612. Gallery Hours are Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. The Gallery is closed on Mondays, holidays, breaks and summer.