Ronnie Goodman is a 53-year-old self-taught artist. He writes: I am sad to say I spent most of my life in and out of prisons battling drug addiction and struggling to find my own voice and way to a meaningful life. A twisted act of fate brought me to San Quentin State Prison on a ten-year term for burglary in 2003. There, I signed up for the San Quentin Art Programs—that was the start of my new existence in life. I became prolific, touched with enlightenment by the master artists and printmakers who were my teachers and mentors. I was transformed into an artist and not a prisoner. In 2010, I was released into society and into the despair of homelessness. However, a new life came to emerge in my creativity and homelessness became my new composition. I saw society’s ills in a new light. The nature and spirit of my artwork has become the reflection of my survival. My redemption: to create and give back to society, to contribute to raising the awareness of our social ills through my art, some of which can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronniegoodman.
