Public Responses to Artwork

PUBLIC RESPONSES

to the works

During the development of the exhibition we shared some of the art work on social media, with the provocation ‘Where does the power come from, in this piece of art?’ The insightful responses informed our thinking about interpretation, and the variety of ways that people might connect with a piece of art. We’ll gather and share more thoughts and perspectives throughout the exhibition, building a beautiful, multi-faceted picture of engagement.

Nae I Dear HM Prison Greenock Koestler Awards Commended Award for Printmaking

The power comes from the bold black image of a powerful beast who stands out against the light background. It gives the impression of the solid stag with a meaningful look in his eye.

The most powerful thing is the deer’s unwavering eyes.

I can see the power coming from the construction between the deer and the background. The painter used a more powerful way to engrave the background and a gentle way to show out the deer.

Reflections HM Prison Whatton Printmaking

The look in the eyes as the face emerges.

This artwork carries out the power of imagination and creativity. It reminds me of the famous Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s style cubism. The original object was broken up and reassembled in an abstract form. Based on the title, I can feel that the artist depicted the face with multiple dimensions, which gives a distance to the viewers to think and interpret it into different meanings. However, the artwork itself also influences the viewer’s emotions and feelings on a certain extent.

Mary the Pigeon Atkinson Secure Unit Commended Award for Printmaking

The power is in the freedom of the pigeon to fly freely and the sense of peace in the picture.

I think that the power of this artwork is the simplicity of this artwork. The artist managed to use such a simple tool with a sophisticated technique to describe a vivid pigeon.

Oh Dem Onions HM Prison & Young Offender Institution Parc Commended Award for Printmaking

The bold use of a limited colour pallet, its eye catching and attractive.

I think the power of this artwork would be the colourful onions. I can feel the four seasons (summer; winter; autumn; spring) out of different pieces of images. Especially the two parts of artworks in the middle of the second row, those unclear margins make the simple object-onion, more attractive. Plus, the artist carefully considered the sequence of the colours and onions, which seems each onion has its meaning and identification as part of the whole “onion family”. That’s what I think is the most powerful thing about this painting.

The Virus HM Young Offender Centre Hydebank Wood Painting

It looks like a mine, menacing and threatening out there waiting to get us...

The power of this piece comes from the simplicity.

It represents COVID in a very clear way, and we all know what impact this has had on us.

Resting HM Young Offender Institution Feltham Commended Award for Printmaking

The solidity of the rabbit against the bright green grass, his ability to hop away at will.

This work of art is hard to interpret.

I believe adding more context would help understand what the black rabbit represents. In any case, I think the use of colours is powerful and impactful.

Life Matters HM Prison & Young Offender Institution Parc Bronze Award for Painting

The power lies in the message and the strength of the powerful hand.

I think the most powerful thing about this is the strength of the fist. When I look closer, I can see the details on it. For me, I feel the fist represents not only the life of humanity but also the whole planet, every life on this planet. I believe that this is the power of art, and this power transfers energy, information to the audiences.

I Am The Phoenix HM Prison Eastwood Park Commended Award for Sculpture

The power is in the message, the Phoenix WILL rise from the ashes....

The colour and the different textures and 3D effect.

This sculpture is very interesting. The materials used seem to be sweets, or at least look like sweets.

However, the composition is incredibly powerful, almost like a vintage poster. The message “like a Phoenix she rises” is very well represented with the colour use, from black at the bottom (the ashes) to lighter tones of red and yellow for the flames. It conveys a feeling of sweetness and at the same time a huge sense of power, growth and self improvement.

It also reminds me of the struggle of women in society, and I believe the materials used were very well chosen.

Doing Time II HM Prison Glenochil Printmaking

The arms which look like snakes suggesting power and a possible threat, the clenched fists The artwork is another piece of the Doing time series. For me, I think the idea of this artwork is very interesting. The position of those fists is like a person holding a faith. I can somehow feel strong and powerful when I spend a bit more time looking at it.

Faces of the Sad Man HM Prison Glenochil Printmaking

There is power in the repetition of the same face.

The faces convey sadness, it has impact

The power of this piece comes from the repetition.

The faces of the sad man are simply copies of the same face, day after day. I believe this reflects the monotonous life of pristine and the feeling of being trapped both in space and time.

Faces of the Sad Man HM Prison Glenochil Printmaking

The use of black and white, the clenched fists, the double meaning, time in prison / time of day illustrated in the watches, the bars...

The first thing that comes to my mind is that each arm has a watch, and I connect it with the name of the artwork. Then, the scene behind this artwork would be the limited and valuable time for the artist to engage with something he/she; likes; perhaps, it is about creating Doing Time. When the artist applied black-and-white into this engraving with three fists in the middle, I can feel a firm determination and perseverance.

To Trumbo Worthing Probation Platinum Award for Calligraphy

Spartacus had physical power as a gladiator and the message is boldly delivered by the use of large red eye catching letters.

The power of this piece lies in the use of colour and typography. The red letters on black background suggest suffering, darkness, pain, struggles… But the shape of the letters, well defined and aggressive, also suggest a sense of strength and confidence.

The most powerful is the “I”, as a large bar on the left. I believe it gives a message of victory, as it is “I” who stands tall at the end.

It is Always Darkest Before the Dawn HM Prison Wandsworth Calligraphy

Very powerful on several fronts. The message, the bold colour, the hope of peace illustrated by the white dove, the rainbow illustrating where the rainbow ends (allegedly in better things).

This artwork carries two powerful meanings.

One, it is the sentence on the painting, which is telling the natural phenomena, which is a truth given by nature and happens every day. Two, it also refers to a metaphoric meaning which is hope and peace. The artist used pigeon, and rainbow colours represented it, which makes the message even more clear.

Equal Rights HM Prison Long Lartin Commended Award for Mixed Media

The bold bright eye catching colour, the use of mixed media and radiating messages give it great impact.

The power of this artwork echoed gender equality. I like the way of showing people by applying colours and different textures and materials. The artist displayed how art can be represented by the handful and simple objects around us, with a strong meaning. This painting shows the power of women!

Dead Planet II, Dead Planet I HM Prison Bristol Highly Commended Award for Printmaking

I think that the real power of this artwork is the transformation of the meaning. Those tree trunks illustrate the escalating environmental issues that we are all facing. Also, the artist skillfully used the conversion of colours in these two works to express his / her opinion.

There is power in the warning, the contrast between the green living and the brown dead...

Boris – Who’s The Clown?

HM Prison Warren Hill Bronze Award for Portrait

There is power in the face, he is prime minister which is a very powerful position but the clowns face and hair superimposed on his face, raise questions in the viewers mind.

This work of art portrays the Prime Minister as the clown from the famous movie “IT”.

This is in itself a very powerful statement, because it carries two meanings. The first, more superficial, is the fact that the Prime Minister is being called a clown, which is traditionally associated with an insult, directed at people who look like they don’t know what they are doing. However, this goes even further, because the clown from the movie “IT”” is an evil monster which terrifies children.

This associates the image of evil and danger with the PM’s face, and creates an incredibly powerful impression in the viewer’s mind, leading them to fear and distrust the PM.

Ring Ring Banana Phone Koestler Arts Mentoring Scheme Silver Award for Portrait Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Scholar 2019

There is a lot of power in this picture, the very serious concentrating look on the boy’s face as he uses his imagination that the banana is a phone.

It begs the question, what is he thinking?

It is beautifully drawn and painted.

The power of this artwork is the expression of this little boy. The Banana Phone originally is a popular and fun children’s album, but, here, the artist might refer to something else. However, I found it interesting because it is an “open-ended” question” for the audience to think.

Without Hope Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre Commended Award for Ceramics

This shows great despair, the head covered by the arms, the feet turned in, a hiding from the horrors his life posture.

This sculpture is very compelling and powerful in particular, those crack lines around his body and his position. In my opinion, the artist shaped this hopeless man with two bigger hands to hold his head tightly. Perhaps, it could be a reflection of people’s life in immigration removal centre, or it could be a way that the artist expressed his/her voice from the deep down.

The power is in the material used, its solid, dark, unbreakable.The man thinks and conveys a sense of sadness.

Thinking Man HM Prison Dovegate Highly Commended Award for Ceramics

This sculpture reminds me of many other classical sculptures of men sitting down and thinking. It is always a powerful image, as it imposes respect, and almost encourages the viewer to start introspecting themselves and thinking. The ability to provoke someone’s thought is in itself very powerful, and I believe this piece achieves that.

Strength, Dignity, Equality HM Prison Send Sculpture

The solid black material, the fist. It shows power, not easily to be broken. It means business.

The artist used three fists to express this strong idea-black lives matters. The powerful message is delivered by this artwork clearly. I can see the words and phrases ‘union’, ‘“together’, ‘be strong’, ‘we can do this’ breaking out of the sculpture.

I believe that the power of art is influential and persuasive people in a quiet way.

Soap Portrait National Justice Museum Collection Artist Unknown

I think the power of this piece lies in the material.

If it was carved from a more traditional material, it would still be a beautiful piece, but the material is what really provokes thought. Additionally, the soap is white and carved, evoking themes of assimilation, whiteness as power, and the texture of racism.

There is something very ambiguous within the colours of materials, what it represents and the softness of the soap. The possibility that the portrait can easily fading in your hands in contact with another material like water, which runs quickly leaving an important effect on the portrait. There is a sense of a material that it is easy to play with, modify and it gives a very strong power to the portrait itself.

I think the power lies in the use of everyday materials. I like the fact that this poor material has been used for an artistic expression.

There’s power in the portrait facing forwards but looking backwards, untrusting or unable to look towards the future. The ear is very prominent, as if the figure is listening, and suggesting we also need to listen closely (even if we don’t like what we hear).

To Myself The Past Childhood,To Myself The Future Artist Unknown

The future. We cannot change the past; we cannot go back to who we were then and change them in the hope of altering who we are today. Looking to the future - deciding who you want to be, what you want and then aiming for it - is the most powerful thing I have learned during my 41 years on this planet. Goodness me! I have made mistakes!

However, I find hankering to go back and change them completely disempowering. It’s a learning process; shaping the process IS the source of power. Well, for me, anyway. Obviously, everyone’s journey is different. I love the red on the future one; bright, bold and badass. Looking to the future is exciting because it holds potential, which I find motivating and inspiring.

As a piece of art it did nothing for me so sorry.

Very simple, almost simplistic, but nonetheless thought provoking. I think it’s about having a balance between learning from the past and focusing on the future. made me pause for thought anyway.

I found the words very powerful in their simple rendition. The images themselves I don’t find as effective. I feel that looking at the past - your own personal past - from a place of safety, can add balance and perspective to the present. The future is unknown, the only certainty being that one day I won’t be here. For me, a reconciliation with the past leads to a peaceful present. A moment ago, I was starting to write this , so I am already in the future....maybe the future doesn’t really exist and all we have is now?

Strength, Dignity, Equality HM Prison Send Sculpture

Is the eye of the person who is imprisoned? The walls also look powerful. I see some of the power of Nature in the green and in the sky.

I think the eyes…the expression say everything and the emotion…...

I see defiance…Between industry and nature, a fracture… of an individual.

Porous borders between and humankind.

Much of the power lies in the contrast. While the portrait is in grayscale, the background is vibrant.

While the portrait is cut into pieces, locked into place with a straightforward and unflinching expression, the background is open and infinite.

The lines cutting through the portrait open the body up to color and space, which is a powerful way to reimagine the fracturing nature of bars.

Justice Arts Coalition USA.

Billiard Table, 1997 National Justice Museum Collection Ray Scobie

Just as the controlling camera is on him, his eye is focused more powerfully, a living unpredictable individual.

Ah brilliant I loved these thought they were amazing - the fishbowl sort of perspective and the large eye, we’re sort of forced to look down on him through a security camera (?) and yet somehow his eye is right on us - who’s observing who?

This painting the words confined and distorted as life in prison is not really a life and confinement as they aren’t free even though this picture look like they are doing something I would do in my free time!

What I’m finding interesting is spotting the other artworks in the background (and the artist tools etc on the desk). By the window - they all offer a sense of ‘the bigger world out there’, while the chap in the centre of the picture in the confined ‘goldfish bowl’ existence of prison, where nothing is truly private.

There is a lot of red. Fingernails, in the face, the cars outside, the chair. Red raw or red anger?

The POV it’s painted from. It feels like you’re a voyeur that’s been caught when you’re looking at it. Like you’re on the other side of surveillance.

Also feels really claustrophobic to me.

Power in this image is the juxtaposition of the all the stuff squeezed into the internal space yet the the external space outside the window seems to stretch to infinity. Almost as though the inside might burst.

It appears we are looking down on him, keeping him small. But he still has his vision for the future (the eye - on the left, so intuition) and the ability to reach for what he ultimately wants so isn’t completely powerless. I’ve just spent quite a while pondering the picture - there’s a lot in it, very interesting, love it.

This painting reminds me of the story from Mahabharata about Guru Drona teaching the Kuru princes archery. Guru Drona instructed his wards to aim their arrows at a bird in a tree, then asked them to describe what they could see. One described the tree, another the branch, another the bird’s feathers. Arjuna, who would later become a legendary archer, was only aware of the bird’s eye.

This painting feels like that kind of focus caught in a mirror. Isn’t it interesting! I had to read this with my students in India, and we followed it up with an archery competition using a homemade bow and twig arrows in the playground. Good times.

What I’m finding interesting is spotting the other artworks in the background (and the artist tools etc on the desk). By the window - they all offer a sense of ‘the bigger world out there’, while the chap in the centre of the picture in the confined ‘goldfish bowl’ existence of prison, where nothing is truly private.

It seems like a self portrait..representing his life, likes and interests... a snapshot of it.

It looks like a dystopic reality, looking at it make me feel anxious. I think that who is playing snooker is the artist? In fact it seems that he has painted also the other painting visible in the background.

His nails are dirty with paints.

What make me more anxious is the expression on his face, that’s sort of fleer on this face. Also the big expanded eye it seems that it has made to catch some other truth that we don’t know or maybe to go far beyond the reality.

I think the power lies in the eye and in the tip of the snooker cue, in the strange colouration of the fingers.