Comings and Goings
A striking new exhibition by photographer Casey Orr. Displayed as large canvasses on the exterior wall of HMP Leeds and simultaneously exhibited inside the prison, these photographs explore the nature of migration, community and home.
Casey has been keen to work with the prison for a number of years:
"The prison is a central landmark in this area but it's almost as if the building is invisible or impenetrable" she explained. "Some of my photographs are of prisoners and their families and, by displaying them on the walls, I hope to make a connection between what's happening on the inside and outside of the building."
Each of the images will be a metre high to create maximum impact. In addition to portraits of prisoners Casey has taken pictures of local migrant women from as far afield as Iraq, Madagascar, Belarus, China and Canada. They are photographed with locally-growing plants and domestic animals which reveal different stories about their migration.
"I was particularly interested in the women because their experiences of migration are different to those of men" said Casey. "These photographs show how people are constantly crossing boundaries and connecting with each other."
The third strand of the exhibition features domestic birds, from backyard chickens, turkeys and hens, to racing and homing pigeons, budgerigars, parrots and rare species. The aim was to focus on birds which are not indigenous to the Armley area and Casey hopes that the images will make connections between the women's experiences of migration and the curtailed existence of the prisoners.
Thur 2 July to 31 August. HMP Prison Leeds, off Hall Lane, Armley.
This project has been working in partnership with HMP Leeds and The Jigsaw Project without whose time and effort this project would not have been possible. For more information about the great work of the Jigsaw Visitors Centre Click Here
