Project X

Caption

These six pastel drawings are representations of surreal and abstract expressionism. The top three drawings may be surreal however more similar to a real portrait as the facial features are in the correct places, these three faces show a sad and lost expression however this is only what people would see at first sight, but the bottom three show portraits that are expressions that are not shown and are purely in the mind and these feelings may feel or seem distressed or confusing but extremely intense to the point it may corrupt cognitive thinking. [Note written by Tyler with support from prison art tutor.]

Medium

Pastels on paper

Form

Framed artwork

Artist / Maker

Tyler, HMP/YOI Lincoln

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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