Geordie Morrow–UVF ex-prisoner in Crumlin Road Gaol.
On Thursday 28th March an innovative Art Exhibition was launched in the confines of Crumlin Road Gaol. This initial display highlights the paintings and drawings of three ex UVF/RHC prisoners and spans the full course of the Prison Years within the conflict. It illustrates the level of skill possessed by many ex prisoners and hopefully will act as a catalyst to bring others forward to showcase further competence. The exhibition was launched by Plum Smith, spokesman for UVF/RHC ex prisoners who currently works for EPIC.
William “Plum” Smith
28th March 2013
Crumlin Road Gaol
First of all on behalf of the Ex-Loyalist Prisoners Community I would like thank you all for coming to the initial Launch of the Ex-Loyalist Prisoner Art Exhibition.
EPIC (Ex-Prisoners Interpretative Centre) is an organisation that represents the constituency of RHC/UVF Ex-Prisoners. Over the course of the conflict more that 10,000 Loyalists ended up incarcerated in the Prisons and Prison Camps of Northern Ireland and beyond. Almost every one of them passed through the gates of this prison at some time. Each one has their own story, their own experiences and each had their own way of dealing with the sentences handed down to them from the courts. Many political prisoners took up various positive and constructive pastimes and careers while they were incarcerated including, music, arts, writing, handicrafts and education. Some, like Danny Strutt and Tommy Cull, were even more creative by designing their own early release scheme when they escaped from these walls in 1973.
Today we present a small example of the work of three ex-loyalist prisoners who took up art and honed their talents by painting and sketching their way through their years of imprisonment. Upon their release they continue to paint and sketch, some as a pastime and some as a profession.
Their art is also a record of their time in prison a pictorial history captured by vivid imagination captured by the stroke of a pencil or the swish of a brush. There is an ocean of talent and exhibits hidden within the wider ex-prisoner community and by launching this exhibition we hope to stimulate more of the ex-prisoner community to come forward and display whatever creativity or talent they developed while they were imprisoned during the conflict.
Today I can see ex- loyalist and ex-republican prisoners in the audience as well as the general public. I think both ex-prisoner communities can agree for the benefit of the general public that it certainly wasn’t like this when we were last in here. The sample’s of art you will see here covers over three decades of the conflict and a message and lesson to us all.
As we stand on the eve of the 15th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement the beauty of these paintings and sketches also tells the story of thousands of young men, young families and loved ones who endured the suffering and penalties of incarceration during the course of the conflict. We must all tell our stories whether it be through art, literature, poetry or whatever medium so that future generations will never have to endure the suffrage of our generation.
The Launch was attended by over 100 people from all walks of life and was a thorough success which we hope to build on. Any ex-prisoner who wishes to come forward with other arts works, literature, poetry or any other medium of expression is asked to get in touch with EPIC.
The Art Exhibition will now be open to the Public from Monday, Wednesday & Friday beginning on Monday 8th April between 1pm-2pm. Also there will be evening sessions between 5pm-7pm on Wednesday 10th, 17th & 24th April.
Admission Free.
One Response to LOYALIST ART EXHIBITION