![]() “I was given permission and have managed to get the old whiteboard from the IT room to my cell. SWiTCH One of our regulars from D-Wing burst into the office with great excitement. A gentle snoring sound began to emanate from a chair not far away and James quelled a chuckle as the film reached its conclusion. Buster Keaton’s character sat ripping up photographs in his rocking chair and I thought to myself just how beautiful this film is and how long it was since I had actually just sat and watched it. I felt a renewed sense of connection as I sat quietly watching the film with our guests. Like so many things that mean something to you in your work, you end up talking about it more than actually looking at it. We had decided there and then to screen it at Grendon and again at Ikon as part of an event to share the developing practice. Samuel Beckett’s “Film” had been a significant discovery and having expressed some ideas to James about it I realised that it could have some resonances with the residents and the current work. An early conversation with James had returned my attention to a film that I had been interested in sometime ago in my previous work. SWiTCH I sat next to James in the second floor gallery flanked by guests, a really great turn out for our event around the on-going work at Grendon. The resident, who I had not met before, turned his head and reciprocated my gesture before returning his gaze to the blue/grey bird in front of him. The door was closed and he gingerly opened it before shutting it again sharply, “it’s alright, a couple of the lads have got one of their budgies out…just be careful with the door” I am used to not reacting now, everything is as it is at Grendon and I simply signalled a greeting to the resident who lay prostrate, rolled in a rug on the floor with his budgie perched on the edge just in front of his face tweeting at him vociferously. Do you want to pop up?” I signed in at the wing office and followed him up the narrow stairwells to the community room on the fourth floor. “I’ve laid out some work upstairs in the community room. I double checked the door after locking it behind me and was greeted by the art rep on C-Wing. Stroking the soft fur on the neck of my companion and moving my fingers around to his cheek, I smiled as I thought back to the last visit that I’d had at Grendon. His namesake’s powerful tones issued forth the lines of my favourite song by the band… ”I am a little tin soldier that wants to jump into your fire” I pondered on the fact that not only is this just an incredible record but also that the writing had been inspired by my favourite book when I was child. My cat is called ‘Steve Marriott’ and it seemed appropriate that, as I sat at the laptop typing with the sound of The Small Faces flowing joyously from the speakers, he would join me at the table. ![]() By Dean Kelland, Ikon’s artist in residence at HMP Grendon ![]()
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