Prison Triptych

Caption

Prison Triptych, 2023, Produced in art class at HMP Liverpool. This set of three panels conveys the shifting realities of prison. There is a juxtaposition of rigidity of structure and organisation, with unpredictability of regime. The left panel represents the rigidity of form; the middle panel represents the layout of the prison, with the different character of the wings, and the constantly changing nature of life. The right panel again represents a new rigid form. The choice of complimentary colour, opposites on the colour wheel, represents the contrasting personalities that the artist might not otherwise have met outside the prison.

Medium

Pencil and paint on paper

Form

Framed artwork

Artist / Maker

Michael, HMP Liverpool

Why have we collected this work?

We want to understand what these prisons are like to live and work in, and how has this changed over time. We are examining the ways that these prison buildings carry traces of the past, while operating in the present day.

The project considers how and why these buildings have survived for so long, and asks how we will know when they have reached the end of their operational lives. We consider the significance of the Victorian prison in shaping public and professional ideas of what prison should be like. Crucially, this project explores the implications of the continued operation of Victorian-era prisons for the contemporary prison service, and aims to inform policy development.

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