EVE New Horizon attended the ‘Alternative Ways of Seeing’, a national exhibition of artwork produced in prisons and curated by artist Eddie Cahill, a former prisoner himself, and an inspirational figure in the world of prison arts.
Eddie Cahill together with Tom Shortt, Arts Officer for the Irish Prison Service, travelled the length and breadth of the country, selecting a body of work which spans all of the prisons in Ireland and displays a wealth of skills taught within the prison education system. Works include large, glazed ceramic vases with intricate gold work that display narratives from the prisons, large canvases of landscapes dreamed of from the outside, intricate works in fabric, leather, and beaten copper. Some highlights of the exhibition are artworks made from found accessible materials from within the prison such as soap, bread and even stones collected from the prison yard. These found materials have been carved and manipulated to create new meanings reflecting the resourcefulness and creativity of prisoners.
Rua Red Project in collaboration with New Horizon did a workshop inspired by the exhibition, led by Michelle Hall, an artist on Rua Red's panel of professional artist facilitators. Well done to everyone involved and thanks to Rua Red for working with us yesterday , the finished products speak for themselves. Another successful collaboration within our community.
To learn more about New Horizon, please visit their blog: http://hubnewhorizon.wordpress.com
