Convicts in the frame: from gaol to gallery
Lily Le looks at some art from behind bars, by which we don't mean that she is at a pub...
The current exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre consists of paintings, poetry, sculptures, textiles, and videos by offenders, secure patients, and detainees.
The fact that this is the premise for the exhibition makes it an interesting one, as it inevitably leads to a strong focus on the psyche behind the artwork coming from an individual removed from the mainstream of society and how they decide to express this distance. You can’t help but have expectations before arriving, and it is worth going to see whether or not they are met.
What was surprising was how skilled many of the artists were. It came as a surprise because not only were all pieces done by amateurs, but the stereotypical preoccupations of an offender can sometimes negate this expectation.
Most of the artwork is not abstract, meaning it is easier to interpret the intentions behind it. Indeed, many of the pieces centre on the frustrations of being detained and the longing for freedom; being ostracised by society and removed from daily pleasures. One striking painting depicted the public haranguing of an offender by personified foxes, wolves, and other beasts in a dark and dirty land. Its pop surrealism style takes the serious edge off the piece and makes it to be more offhand. Bizarrely, there are also many paintings of Bob Marley by several different artists. Videos ranging from offenders working out in a prison gym and a cartoon about Scotland with poetic narration are also part of the exhibition. Audio works are present, such as spoken-word poems and a choir-chimed Stand By Me.
An insight into the display is given by a video where Sarah Lucas (the curator) explains how she enjoys the raw nature of many of the pieces. She states that the toilet bowls used as painting stands were not brought in especially for the free exhibition, although, ironically, they do pair well. Lucas also explains that she uses concrete blocks to display the sculptures, an effect which many probably would not notice or appreciate had attention not been drawn to them.
She also comments on a painting of Queen Liz in aviator sunglasses, which is quite rightly amusing. The pieces were entered into the Koestler Awards, for which winners won small cash prizes. Artists with a substantial body of work receive a year’s mentoring from a Koestler mentor. These projects are a way of allowing offenders to focus on education and can be therapeutic for patients in psychiatric hospitals. Free at Southbank Centre, until 25 November. Entrance is free.
