I took this photo about 4 years ago of Cata, a girl whose family I lived with in Romania while I taught there.
Whenever I see pictures of her these days on the internet, it always comes as a surprise how different she looks to what I remember.
I felt that this outline technique suited this expression of memory really well. These days I wonder if what I remember Cata looking like ever really was what she looked like. Memory is a strange thing
This is the first piece I want to announce where it's going. I know Camel isn't going to like this, and Elena already disapproves of my choice, but I am sending this to a prisoner in the US.
I found this site a while back and never did bother to write to one. I felt that prisoners didn't deserve my hard earned stamps and artwork, so put it on the backburner.
However, Me, Elena and L-Plate Big Cheese went to visit the excellent "Art by offenders" show in the Southbank centre, which is a show run by the Koestler foundation and some of the artworks were truly outstanding. Not only this, but the concept of art as rehabilitation for offenders was clearly outlined and I warmed to the idea. Art is a great way to explore your emotions and express what's inside with the hope of being understood. So the idea of connecting through mailart with prisoners resonated. After all, is mailart not about connecting to others through art?
I've been the victim of crime a number of times. Recently I was mugged, punched in the face and the guy was caught. He went to prison for about 6 months. I know he is likely to come back on the streets and reoffend as he's a junkie and has no escape from that.
The prisoner I have chosen has displayed his artwork on this site and I hope that through art and through connecting in mailart with the outside world, I may play a part in his rehabilitation.
