Open Eye Gallery: Mindful Photo Project
Venue: Open Eye Gallery
Date(s): 9.6.22 - 6.7.22
Time(s): All Day
MINDFUL PHOTO PROJECT @ HMP THORNCROSS
9 JUNE – 6 JULY 2022
OPEN EYE GALLERY ATRIUM SPACE
Socially engaged photographer, Joe Lee created the Mindful Photo Project through a desire to forge connections. He creates workshops that give people the chance to connect to themselves, to others in the group, their surroundings and their creativity.
This is done by combining photography with mindfulness principles, allowing the participants to question how they view and connect with everyday things and moments. We miss so much vividness in the world by going through our day on autopilot. These creative practices support participants’ mental wellness by taking them out of their heads and into the present moment, reigniting a childlike wonder.
We worked with Joe at HMP Thorn Cross to try and understand what the world looks like through a mindful photo lens and what stories we can reveal.
This was a unique opportunity to explore the potential of this practice with a group of men who are particularly disconnected. As HMP Thorn Cross is a category D prison, most of the men are at a transitionary moment in their lives, with release on the horizon.
The work on display here was chosen by the men and is a glimpse of what the world looks like from their perspective, showing how they began to connect through mindful photography.
Image Credit: Anonymous project participant – HMP Thorn Cross