Friday, September 17, 2010

"How a little praise in prison can go a long way"

Duet by John Banks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/24/arts-prison-koestler-awards-praise 
The Koestler Trust is an arts charity that provides opportunities for inmates and detained psychiatric patients in the UK to express themselves creatively.  Arts by Offenders is an exhibition put on by the Trust and includes, this year, entries from 14 Scottish prisons, a children's secure unit, and a mental hospital. The article I chose, "How a little praise in prison can go a long way" was written by former-inmate Erwin James whose positive experience with Koestler's investment in offenders' lives and creative expression changed his entire perspective about his own life and worth to society.  This article is incredibly interesting to me for two reasons.  On the one hand, it takes a conventional perspective of what we, as a culture of primarily Western-influenced art observers, art snobs, if you will, perceive to be real "art" or "artists" and throws it out the window.  On the other hand, however, it is an incredibly intimate illustration of what art in the purest sense can achieve.  These are not pieces commissioned by lofty dignitaries or wealthy patrons for themselves, but precious, personal reflections and journeys made masterpiece in some sort of visual form.  When you think about it, these artists are not actually so different from many whom we today consider masterful ringleaders in their own movements.  (Van Gogh, for example.)  As a representative of the Koestler Trust states in the article, these opportunities of expression can "'give people a sense of value that they might not have had before'".  I personally think this idea, as well as this organization, is awesome and agree with the writer that, obviously, "'a little praise goes a long way'".
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2 comments:

  1. Rachel AllenSeptember 21, 2010 at 9:25 PM

    I have never heard of something like this before, but you're right, it is awesome. I feel like the artwork from the inmates are so good just because they are full of expression and emotion because this might be the only positive way that they can release it all. I also think its great because it gives them something to do not only while they are detained, but can give them something positive to turn to when they are out in the real world.

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  2. amyfromtheblockSeptember 22, 2010 at 8:35 AM

    This is such a stellar idea. When people are given the chance to create, they are also given the chance to reinstate their self worth and change their lives. It is easy to see how huge a difference this charity can make in these people. I am also a big fan of the way it is in no way about creating something that would be praised by today's art snobs. It's about creating a pure and uninhibited expression of the artist. If you ask me, that is real art, and I am so pleased to see this is being encouraged in such an amazing manner.

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