Double Window

Mixed Media

Guernsey, United Kingdom

EXHIBITION DATE

January / February 2020

VENUE

Guille-Allès Public Library,
St Peter Port

Double Window was a project that started in spring 2019, so called because it was intended to provide prisoners with the opportunity to communicate with the outside world, and to allow those of us on the outside to gain an insight into what life is like for prison inmates.

Art for Guernsey has a strong remit to bring art where it is most needed, and that motivated us to align our efforts with CLiP to build a project to inspire prisoners to better integrate into the community and acquire new skills, thus reducing the likelihood of their reoffending. As the prisoners opened up to us about their artworks and the impact that spending time on creative pursuits had on them, we were astounded by the role that art had in promoting their wellbeing, personal development and self-esteem.

Proudly sponsored by:

“Sydney Charles is one of the foremost insurance brokers for fine art in the Channel Islands and supporting Art for Guernsey has been a very rewarding experience. Art for Guernsey has done an excellent job of showcasing young talent and making art accessible to the whole community, and we feel that anything we can do to help young artists bring their work into Guernsey schools and the wider public has got to be a good thing for all parties. We look forward to continuing our support.”

SYDNEY CHARLES

Sponsor

Event partners:

1. BEHIND BARS ONE

The artist, who has been released from prison and has left the island, was very much inspired by Andy Warhol and his printing techniques. He wanted to try these techniques on prison-related subjects such as prison bars and handcuffs, using polystyrene sheets to carve the shapes before printing them on paper. He chose bright colours as he wanted to bring some brightness to his daily life.

2. BEHIND BARS TWO

3. THE COFFEE POT

This one is quite poignant because you get your canteen here every Thursday and they forgot to put my coffee in the canteen so all I could think about over the weekend was coffee. On a Monday morning, I thought I’d paint this, to give me the feeling that I was having a cup of coffee.

4. VIEW FROM CASTLE CORNET

I used to spend most of my time down here in the 70s and 80s – this is Castle Cornet and it’s overlooking Havelet Bay and the bathing pools. It used to always be a good site, they’d have a schooner moored in Havelet Bay. The frame was my idea, it has some sort of texture.

I find art a bit of an escapism, and it brings back good memories of places where I used to be out and about in Guernsey.

5. HARBOUR SCENE

I consider this a quintessential Guernsey piece with the fishing boat and the harbour and the granite; we were shown a number of photographs and that one jumped out at me. I liked painting the different effects on the water so for me it’s an exploration but also remembering what is outside of these walls, and something that I will get back to at the end of my sentence.

There’s actually a large amount of talent inside the prison and I think it’s important that people’s talents and gifts be recognised. Prison doesn’t offer many opportunities for looking outwards by its very construction and so we have a lot of time to look inwards, and meditate and consider what we’ve done.

6. TAKING FREEDOM FOR GRANTED

I like to go with my wife to take the dog for a walk around the bunkers and the tower, and when you come into a place like this you realise you take your freedom for granted. During the Occupation the Channel Islands lost their freedom and being in here isn’t as bad as that but you can’t go walking where you want or do what you want, and it was similar to that for my mother during the Occupation. She was restricted from going here and there, and once you’ve lost your freedom you appreciate how lucky you were.

I’m not very good at drawing, I’m better at mechanical stuff and repairing things but I did enjoy doing it. I’m really surprised and quite chuffed that my piece has been chosen.

7. CASTLE CORNET CAUSEWAY

The artist, who has been released from prison, emphasised the structure and texture of the Castle Cornet causeway by sculpting Polyfilla, finishing it with a sponged sea and sky. She was amazed at the success of her completed piece and the resulting compliments when it was exhibited at an awards evening.

8. LIVING THE DREAM

9. BOTTLE OF RUM

This could be a metaphor for just before you come into prison or when you’re just leaving. Whether you’ve just got released or it’s your last day of freedom, you’re out on the town and you get a bit wide eyed – it’s just a wacky picture really isn’t it? The blue and yellow go well so I’m happy with that. I find I struggle with looking at a picture for more than two hours, so if I can do it in two hours it’s ideal.

10. ANNE MARIE

This picture came from something I saw and copied from a book – I just found it interesting and it reminded me of someone I knew. The art classes are a good way of passing the time and I’m enjoying learning to paint and discovering new techniques. I’d never done a portrait before so this was my first, and I’m quite pleased with the result.

11. BROKEN ANGEL

All I could think of when I first came in was sadness and brokenness and what I had done to my family. It has massively affected my partner, and I kept thinking of what she means to me and what had happened in the background, and the idea of a broken angel came to me.

12. THE LADY ON THE SEA

This references tales of travel in classical antiquity, such as Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, which inspired humanism and the Renaissance. A ‘rebirth’ is something that each and every prisoner can aspire to once they are released!

13. THE AFRICAN QUEEN

This one has the colours of the Ethiopian flag – red, gold and green – as well as Jamaican-inspired colours because I play in a Reggae band on the outside. In the foreground is water and I had the idea that there was a shark at one stage, it looks like she’s going to be attacked. You’ll find most places in paradise are like that, there’s always trouble. She doesn’t look very happy, even though it’s like a paradise that she comes from. I’ve been to Africa a few times – beautiful countries but there’s war all the time, and so much corruption.

14. THE LADY WITH THE PIGEONS

The ladder is against a wall, suggesting an access to freedom from the inside of prison, but the lady is giving up on accessing freedom because she wants to give assistance to a pigeon. In prison pigeons are pretty much the only living creatures we see, so I was thinking of kindness and I thought of helping a pigeon. Again I was inspired by Picasso, he comes from a hot country and there are always bright colours there. That’s the thing about here, wherever you go everything’s magnolia, it’s like being in a beige submarine.

15. PRISON LIFE ONE

The first piece is a person in desperation, while the second is inspired by Munch’s The Scream and is my first attempt at a 3D work. Prison life is like a river under the ice: turbulent, yet hidden from sight by the cold indifference of others. Where the soul is torn by a Roman Catholic faith denied by the State, does anyone care?

Where the spirit is ripped asunder, body and mind will surely follow, and optimism is an abstract that belongs to the innocence of youth. I suffer from PTSD from when I was a prisoner of war, so being in here does bring back memories I prefer not to have. Art is an expression, a release, so therefore you can use it as an escape.

17. UNTITLED

Artist chose not to comment.

18. PARADISE

My partner and I both have paradise tattoos and we say when the two of us are together it’s paradise. So this was a way of recreating my connection to her, it’s a way of being close to her and to keep that goal fixed.

I love art, it’s my favourite time of the week. It’s a chance to relax and you see that people have these little hidden talents. It helps to open up conversations and it’s also a way of feeling that you’re not here as well. The idea of paradise connects to me being at home but also the idea that although it’s not here, you can create a paradise in your own head as well.

19. ORANGES

After eating oranges in his cell, the artist uses the peel to make these balls. It is not always easy to find art materials, so the artist showed great resourcefulness in sourcing materials from his day-to-day life in prison. Fellow inmates contributed their orange peel to enable the making of these pieces, which gives a nice collective component to their creation.

20. THE CONCISE CRIMINAL DICTIONARY

A conviction and prison sentence can stay with someone forever, but what if people didn’t treat us differently? After all, a prisoner who is released has served their debt to society. This ‘dictionary’ attempts to explore the word CRIMINAL, along with other related terms, and what they mean to the public. Is it possible to change people’s views?

21. LEFTIES

Did you know that between 8 and 12% of the general population is left handed? Did you also know that the proportion of left-handed people in prison is closer to 30%?

22. SEX, DRUGS & NO PAROLE

Everyone has heard that prisons in the UK (and probably all around the world) have a drug problem. Heck, in Guernsey around 50% of the prisoners are in for drug- related offences. Is it possible to change this culture? If so, this book has the answers.

23. MORE THAN A NUMBER

Prisoners are given an identification number as soon as they enter custody. For the rest of their sentence, this number sticks with them. In many institutions throughout the world, prisoners are known only by their number.

In this book, we show that prisoners are much more than just a number and, as such, should be treated that way once released.

24. SH***ING WHERE YOU EAT!

Imagine being confined to a cell no bigger than an average sized bathroom, for more than 12 hours per day. Then add in the fact that you have to sleep, eat and even go to the toilet in the same space. That, of course, is the life of many prisoners.

This book explores this very topic and asks the question: Is it healthy for a human being to defecate three feet away from their dinner table?

25. SNOW SCENE

This was a practice piece from a book on watercolour painting and it was to use the white of the paper to represent snow and reflection, and also to practise the drawing of the branches of the trees. So what you left off the paper was as important as what you put on the paper for this piece.

I find painting is a form of mindfulness practice where I can be completely absorbed in the work and the process, and I find that very powerful. It also helps the time pass and I feel like I’m doing something constructive. Prison doesn’t offer you that many opportunities, it restricts you a lot, but this is one thing that gives me a sense of freedom.

26. BATTLEFIELD CHESSBOARD

I produced this chessboard to represent a battleground initially because it brought back good memories from my childhood of playing with crossbows and catapults. As I progressed with the piece I introduced the ‘fence’ around the board which is representative of the fence around the prison. Being able to produce 3D models like this in art classes has really inspired me to want to go on to make traditional wooden board games on a professional basis once I’m released –which just goes to show that education does work here.

27. THE EYE OF THE CROW

I feel it looks like there’s a pupil in the middle, which why I described it as a crow’s eye. I chose to just use black, and then I added in a tiny drop of orange.

Art’s my favourite class of the week, you don’t feel like you get a lot of opportunities to express yourself in here so art’s definitely one outlet for you to do that. I think it’s so important that people are doing art in here and the level of art that is achieved is outstanding. Personally, I don’t feel that I’m much of an artist myself but it’s something that I do enjoy, and I also enjoy seeing other people’s artwork. I think if art wasn’t part of the prison curriculum things would probably be a lot different, there would be a lot more frustration I reckon.

28. COLOURFUL RAIN

I learnt via the internet that interesting effects can be created by heating and melting wax crayons and I wanted to try something with this technique. Often we see rain running down the windows and rain is something most often associated with grey, but it can also be cleansing and bring life and rainbows, so I wanted to inject some colour into the rain where normally we see only grey.

29. PINK MELEE

The artist, who has been released from prison, diluted acrylic paint with PVA glue and poured her chosen colours over the canvas before revolving it to make fascinating patterns. She then used a smudging technique with pastel chalks to make sea and sunset images. The artist is appreciative of all the help given and realises that given her acquired ability, she can go on to achieve whatever she desires.

30. DREAMY OCEAN

The artist, who has been released from prison, diluted acrylic paint with PVA glue and poured her chosen colours over the canvas before revolving it to make fascinating patterns. She then used a smudging technique with pastel chalks to make sea and sunset images. The artist is appreciative of all the help given and realises that, given her acquired ability, she can go on to achieve whatever she desires.

31. MANY BRIGHT HANDS

I was asked to decorate the hands, using different materials to brighten them up, so I’ve put jewels on some of them, and glitter and beads on others. Our hands are very useful things which we use all the time and they get quite dull in the winter, so I wanted to sparkle them up and make them look cheerful.

I was never able to draw as a child and I’m not a very artistic person, but I really enjoy doing art lessons here – it’s a few hours when you can really use your imagination and lose yourself in an activity which gives you something else to focus on, something positive, something bright and illuminating.

32. VELOCETTE LE MOTORBIKE

The motorbike is a Velocette LE and it represents the bike that my father had when I was a child. I used to go on the back of it and it was a thing that I loved, and when my father died and I was clearing out the garage, I found a manual on the LE and I said to my wife that one day I was going to get one of those, and I did, and this is just a picture of the Velocette that brought back memories.

33. VISCOUNT 806

This is set in the mid-1990s when we had the national carrier Guernsey Airlines, and it was one of two Viscount 806s they had. They used to offer a good service in those days and that’s basically what it is. It brings back memories of when I used to come back on leave from the Air Force.

34. SACRED HEART

I studied medieval history, and this is an icon done in the classical style. You need as much help as possible in here, you can feel desperate at times.

35. PARROT

It’s time to yourself, time on your own to think and to lose yourself in your own drawings. I drew these in my cell because I prefer to do it on my own. The parrot reminds me of freedom and faraway places.

36. THE COCKEREL

I just thought I’d do something to make me laugh, there’s nothing deep about it. You eat a lot of chicken here in the prison so I thought I’d paint a cockerel just to cheer the other prisoners up. I edit the prison magazine and it’s in this month’s edition, it’s on the front cover actually.

37. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

I wanted to create something that was a bit different, a bit retro, something really bright and colourful. I love dogs and the idea behind it was to not be afraid to stand out and to express yourself and to not be scared of being different – just show your true colours. There’s no need for everybody to be the same – don’t be afraid of being you.

I have a design background. Art gives you that space to be creative and I think that’s very important for a lot of people. It gives you that opportunity to express yourself; you can just be free and put down on paper what’s on your mind.

38. TRAPPED HARMONY

It was a summer’s day and I just went outside and put something together. I feel quite trapped in here, that’s why I named it Trapped Harmony, and it was an expression of colour, the freedom to be able to do what you want and go a bit nuts. I’m no artist but I enjoy doing it, I think it’s quite relaxing and therapeutic, so it was a little escape I suppose. I hope people enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed doing it.

39. HAKUNA MATATA

What can you say about a Disney picture? I really enjoy drawing, especially animated characters, and I like anything with finely defined lines. I think art is the best education lesson in prison and I mainly produce pictures to give to other people, like my mum.

40. YODA

41. NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MOON, OK – BUZZ

The artist wanted to put the 50th anniversary of The Sun parallel to the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. He felt that The Sun tells lies and when you tell lies you have to back them up and then orchestrate them.

42. I AM FREE

It was a spur of the moment thing, mainly about people who live inside the box compared with those who just do as they wish. Some people live under the illusion that they’re free when they’re not, and some people are actually free because they see everything how it is.

I like art – it’s the freedom to do as you wish, nobody can tell you that you’re doing it wrong, nobody can tell you that you’re doing it right, it’s just pure self-expression.

43. LIBERATION

I went for a liberation, remembrance kind of theme. In the first piece I did, I wanted to add a few things that are related to Guernsey. I don’t know if the Guernsey Press was out at that time, but there’s the drawing plans of one of the German bunkers and obviously there’s the donkey. It’s a little bit Trash Polka inspired, which I quite like.

I’m a bit of a two-trick pony, I can either carve things from wood or I can do paintings using ink as a medium. I was experimenting with texture and I used acrylic to give a 3D effect. I was experimenting with different bristle textures, I used a toothbrush and a brush used for cleaning a beard trimmer.

44. LIBERATION

It’s a bit of the old kiss technique – keep it simple – some of the most aesthetically pleasing and beautiful things can be the simplest, and the difference between a good artist and a bad artist – I’m not saying I’m either – is knowing when to stop. I found doing this therapeutic and I genuinely appreciate that you picked my work.

45. LIBERATION

46. LIBERATION

47. BRINGS IT HOME

The first piece references the knife crime that’s been happening in a lot of places in England. The letterbox is bringing into the home what’s happening on the outside – blood is coming through it, coming home to people who have lost loved ones in this horrific way. I used acrylic paints with a bit of thickening on the orangey red.

48. SUPERMAN

This has the idea of the carrot and stick. You have to behave like a superman in here, you’re not allowed to smoke, that’s why he’s got cigarettes in his ears, and that’s the carrot there. Everyone’s got it in them to be superman, it depends what road you take. They reckon you’re only eight words away from being whatever you want to be or doing whatever you want to do, you just need to say the right eight words to the right person, in the right place at the right time. So everyone’s got that chance but it’s very difficult to choose the eight words and so on – so everyone’s superman really.

ENRICHING OUR ISLAND

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We have been working in the Bailiwick since 2016, bringing art exhibitions, events and creative activities of the highest standards of delivery and engagement to the community, from early education to care homes and everyone in between. We have reached not just our own community but far beyond our shores too. We always strive to inspire our community, innovate in our delivery, reach significant audiences and support future generations, combining creativity with impact.