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12 - 28 February 2009 |
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IS SEEING BELIEVING? In a world of full opinions, do we believe what we’re told? Can we believe what we see? Is Seeing Believing? brings together three shows that challenge the viewer to ask these questions.
Rimutaka Prison Art: Art on the Inside
Art is about looking at the world in a different way; the process of learning about art is a process of learning to think and see differently. For many Prisoners, the opportunity to access professionally tutored art sessions can be hugely significant in affecting change in the way they are in the world. Art on the Inside showcases the art of a number of individuals currently serving prison sentences in Rimutaka Prison. This is a unique opportunity to see the breadth and depth of artwork produced through two-hours a week of structured art workshops.
The work for this show has been selected from a pool of seventy Artists tutored by two Wellington based art tutors, Chris and Paul, as part of the national Constructive Activities Programme. "The activities are aimed at helping prisoners to make good use of their non-work time, and sometimes may lead to developing skills which may lead to a future career. A number of prisons include "Art" as an activity, supported both as professionally tutored classes, and less formal volunteer led groups” says Mary Stenton, Manager of Programmes for Wellington Area Prisons.
Paul sees his role in prison as quite different to other work he does as an art tutor in tertiary institutions. “The focus in tertiary institutions is on training individuals to be contemporary leaders in their field and to prepare them for their chosen professions. In prison, I am much more interested in the personal process. For me, it is more important for somebody in a prison art class to overcome a personal challenge in relation to an artwork.”
Both tutors find a large number of the inmates they work with have very strong technical abilities based on traditional styles of art prevalent in prison culture. “What’s exciting is when an inmate takes the steps towards being more individual in their creativity. This independence takes courage as it is almost a challenge to the traditional inmate-culture and requires a change in the artists’ perspective”.
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Nick Mitchell: A Window of Doubt
A Window of Doubt explores painter Nick Mitchell’s interest in several high profile criminal trials and cases in New Zealand. Inspiration for this work came from looking at well known cases such as that of David Bain, John Barlow and Scott Watson.
Nick paints in an impressionist style with softness and subtly that draws out the ambiguities present in trial. Of his extensive research, Nick feels compelled to bring to our attention some of the bigger questions like …”What do we think of Justice? What constitutes a fair trial? And to what extent do the Media, Politics and Public view play a role in how Cases are presented and viewed?”
He’s of the belief that it’s a Human Right to get a Fair Trial – so why do miscarriages of Justice still occur? And, what as a society can we do about it?
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Sheryl Brooker: Who can you Trust?
Greymouth Artist Sheryl Brooker has produced this collection of paintings as a response to her personal experiences and observations of what she saw as intimidation, corruption and abuses of power in her community.
Who Can You Trust? is a series of narrative paintings which confronts the classic roles of good guys and baddies. In Brooker’s paintings the uniformed villans and anonymous dark shadows with horns, are depicted not always behaving as you would expect the protectors of our society to. This is a series of illustrative works describing sinister scenes which the artist hopes will be a visual catalyst to inform, and stimulate debate about the role of our judicial system.
“The paintings relate my personal journey through the experience of naivety, fear, denial, disillusionment acceptance and courage. If we don’t improve our system of justice and people lose all trust and respect for the justice system where will that lead?” |
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EXHIBITION ARCHIVES | |
