Art made by inmates: Exhibition alternative ways of seeing

HE exhibition ‘Alternative Ways of Seeing’ features works of art made by inmates in classrooms and cells across 14 prisons and 3 post-release facilities in Ireland, reports Ryan Butler.

Artist Eddie Cahill, a pioneer in the field of prison arts and a former inmate, has chosen and organised the pieces.

Cahill and Irish Prison Service Arts Officer Tom Shortt have been visiting prisons around Ireland for the past three months to meet with inmate artists to debate and choose their work.

Cahill’s choice was influenced by both the healing potential of art in overcoming trauma and his personal experience of incarceration.

The result of this approach is a body of work that illustrates the variety of skills taught in the prison education system and spans the length of the Republic’s jail system.

Works include big canvases depicting dreamed-of exterior landscapes, intricate works in fabric, leather, and hammered copper, and large glazed ceramic vases with intricate gold work that represent storylines from the prisons.

The artworks created using easily accessible items from the prison, such as, soap, food and even stones gathered from the prison yard, are among the exhibition’s highlights.

The inmates’ inventiveness and ingenuity are reflected in the new meanings that have been created by carving and manipulating these found objects.

The display illustrates how creating art transforms people’s life, increases self-worth, and enhances attitudes, all of which lower offending conduct and decrease recidivism. Prisoners create intricately symbolic paintings, captivating landscapes, labor-intensive models, colourful and innovative works of art on their own, with the assistance of professors and visiting artists.

A man’s artwork from HMP Magilligan in Northern Ireland is included, which is representative of the contemporary cross-border collaboration in prison teaching.

Rua Red and the Irish Prison Education Service are partners in the project Alternative Ways of Seeing.

With a shared vision of “A prison education service based on self-respect and respect for others, within a safe, supportive learning environment,” the Prison Education Service is offered in collaboration with the Education and Training Boards.

The jail arts programme is very beneficial because it gives kids the chance to think, experiment, and express themselves.