Undulating

Caption

The undulating background of psychedelic sky – perhaps reflecting a drug culture which is the cause of incarceration for so many – is in contrast to the hard, angular form of a prison building which comes right at the viewer. Garish colours create a sickly-sweet veneer over the scene. The tension between the organic, natural flow of life and the synthetic, manufactured prison offers explored here. Arrow-like roads seem to be pointing at us. Which road do we follow? [Statement written by prison education staff informed by conversations with David]

Medium

Pencil on paper

Form

Framed artwork

Artist / Maker

David, HMP Liverpool

Untitled (Liverpool 9753)

Meat grinder

Untitled drawing #11

Untitled (Liverpool 0734)

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.

Mediums

Categories

Bear

Blanket

Brick

Door

Ghost

Paper

Pigeon

Rope

Window