Art by Offenders (click here for weblink)
UNLESS you’re a master forger mixing art and crime together may not spring instantly to mind.
But a duck in to the Southbank Centre this autumn might have you scurrying to re-evaluate that idea - and your perceptions of prison life.
Introducing Arts by Offenders; both fascinating in theme and remarkable in style, it’s the fourth annual exhibition of the Koestler Trust, the Southbank Centre and Britain's incarcerated souls.
From all corners of the country, from secure units to reforms centres, a rich tapestry of creative endeavours have been plucked from criminal hands, dissected and discussed, ready to be unveiled to the masses.
And it offers a fascinating delve into the dark prose of prison life and the polar opposite of hope, redemption and humour.
The show doesn’t suffer from self-indulgence nor is it sombre in nature. Instead it reveals art forms and feelings packed with intelligence and colour, including the primal, almost apocalyptic, painting Hastings Finest, the surreal sculpture Hakahookoo and the touching prose of The Ballad of Any Goal.
This year the curators are volunteer members of the Magistrates Association who have whittled down more than 7,000 pieces to 150. Davendra Singh JP, one of the curators, said, ‘Some of the artwork is funny; it can show a humorous view to some very serious issues such as prison overcrowding. Other pieces represent deep emotions, but none appeared to incite violence or glorify crime, in fact it was quite the opposite.’
One blogger from the charity Open College of the Arts, summed up the essence of the exhibit with her words, ‘It’s a great way for prisoners to feel like they’re still alive and connected with the outside world hopefully painting works therapeutically to show they can be part of something wonderful.’
You may not condone their crimes, or the punishment they receive, but walking through the exhibit you sense a tragic feeling of a life and gift very much wasted.
But if Koestler Trust were looking for a better example to illustrate their rehabilitative efforts, Anon’s sentiments under his painting, A Glimmer of Keef, which won the Sodexo Justice Services Bronze Award, could not be more searingly honest from the heart: ‘Art has got me through seven years of the worst time I could ever imagine. Hear the oil ROAR! I’ll paint for the rest of my days.’
You can check out this free event at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London until Sunday 20 November – for more information visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk
UNLESS you’re a master forger mixing art and crime together may not spring instantly to mind.
But a duck in to the Southbank Centre this autumn might have you scurrying to re-evaluate that idea - and your perceptions of prison life.
 |
| Hastings Finest by Anon. Image courtesy of the Koestler Trust |
From all corners of the country, from secure units to reforms centres, a rich tapestry of creative endeavours have been plucked from criminal hands, dissected and discussed, ready to be unveiled to the masses.
And it offers a fascinating delve into the dark prose of prison life and the polar opposite of hope, redemption and humour.
The show doesn’t suffer from self-indulgence nor is it sombre in nature. Instead it reveals art forms and feelings packed with intelligence and colour, including the primal, almost apocalyptic, painting Hastings Finest, the surreal sculpture Hakahookoo and the touching prose of The Ballad of Any Goal.
This year the curators are volunteer members of the Magistrates Association who have whittled down more than 7,000 pieces to 150. Davendra Singh JP, one of the curators, said, ‘Some of the artwork is funny; it can show a humorous view to some very serious issues such as prison overcrowding. Other pieces represent deep emotions, but none appeared to incite violence or glorify crime, in fact it was quite the opposite.’
 |
| Hakahookoo Ashworth Hospital, PlatinumAward 2011. Image courtesy of the Koestler Trust |
One blogger from the charity Open College of the Arts, summed up the essence of the exhibit with her words, ‘It’s a great way for prisoners to feel like they’re still alive and connected with the outside world hopefully painting works therapeutically to show they can be part of something wonderful.’
You may not condone their crimes, or the punishment they receive, but walking through the exhibit you sense a tragic feeling of a life and gift very much wasted.
But if Koestler Trust were looking for a better example to illustrate their rehabilitative efforts, Anon’s sentiments under his painting, A Glimmer of Keef, which won the Sodexo Justice Services Bronze Award, could not be more searingly honest from the heart: ‘Art has got me through seven years of the worst time I could ever imagine. Hear the oil ROAR! I’ll paint for the rest of my days.’
You can check out this free event at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, in London until Sunday 20 November – for more information visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk