Time for art

My name is Daniel Hogg. I am 44 years old and am currently working for the Koestler Trust prison arts charity as an Ex-Offender Arts Worker. I have a partner of 22 years and we have three children together. I was convicted of Death by Dangerous Driving in February 2007 and received a four year prison sentence. I was determined to use my time constructively while detained and so when I was taken to HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire I enlisted for the music class after a couple of weeks Lay Down’ (22 hours spent in my cell each day).

During my third week in Bullingdon, a cell-mate attempted to hang himself in the middle of the night. I woke up just in time, untied him and rang the bell for prison staff. Within 48 hours I was taken to HMP Ford, an open prison in West Sussex. There was no Music Department at the time at Ford so I signed up for the art classes instead.

I had been interested in art at school but was advised by my teacher at the time I was not good enough to continue with it. Whilst at Ford I read every art related book in the well-stocked library and enrolled in the art course in the on-site education department which was run by Manchester College. I wanted to educate myself on the history of art, on what motivated the great artists and how their work developed over time. I immersed myself in it. I wanted to see how my art fitted into the grander scheme of things and into existing artistic traditions.

Prison art classes give you a good grounding in techniques and introduce you to different styles and types of art. But I found that it was the art I produced alone, in my cell that really allowed me to express myself. I painted and drew in my cell until the early hours and continued to read art books in any breaks I gave myself. I completed NCFE Levels 1, 2 and 3 (equivalent to an A-Level).

It was only when I’d read what must have been my 100th art book – I remember it clearly, it was on Rothko – that I really ‘got’ what art was in my own mind. The penny dropped and I had a lot more confidence in myself as an artist. Because technically, when you’re an artist in prison, you’re part of the ‘outside art’ world – an artist who has little or no contact with the mainstream art world or art institutions. And although I want my art to be unique, there’s always a sense of wanting it be ‘accepted’, to stand alongside other, more established artists, and to be seen as art in itself, rather than ‘art by an offender.’ While at Ford, I entered the Koestler Awards,  as well as the ‘Outside In’ outsider art competition organised by the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester. Two of my works were selected for Outside In, with one being exhibited at the gallery and subsequently sold. I was allowed to attend the exhibition with my family on day release. This gave my confidence a real boost as I had entered the Koestler Awards but not won anything.

Ford is a Category-D prison and you are required to work and/or attend education. I worked on the estates planting many crops to be used in the prison kitchens. I also did some work in the kitchen and for the last few months, I worked in an on-site industrial workshop cutting up rags on a machine for seven hours per day, with a wage of £10 a day. Towards the end of my sentence a fellow inmate showed me an advert in the Inside Times prison newspaper for a job as an Ex Offender Arts Worker with the Koestler Trust. An interest in art, knowledge of the criminal justice system and a background in handling art were amongst the role requirements. Prior to going to prison I had run my own removal company and also worked for Pickfords. I had the interview in February 2010 and got the job. I am currently doing an Art and Design distance learning degree course with the Open College of the Arts which has been partly funded by the Prisoners Education Trust.

The Koestler Arts Centre is based outside Wormwood Scrubs prison in West London. My role includes talking to artists regarding their entries and any queries. Koestler received 7,656 entries to the 2011 Awards across 59 different categories ranging from oil and acrylic to sculpture, film, poetry and hairdressing. The entries are judged by professionals in each category including Grayson Perry and Jeremy Deller. For the first time in 2011 there was a themed category – ‘Help’ which was chosen by the TV presenter Jeremy Paxman. It was a great experience for me to be to work alongside such eminent artists and really inspiring.

The exhibition in 2010 was curated by victims of crime and I had a painting selected for display at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London.

This year, the selection for the exhibition was made by volunteer curators from the Magistrates’ Association . I won a Platinum Award for my sculpture piece Mis-spent Youth and the curators also chose this and around 150 other art works from prisoners, people on probation, immigration removal centre detainees and secure patients to display. I hope to finish my art degree and continue to work in the arts. Since being involved in art in prison, I have certainly analysed myself more

When I get to see my piece on display at Southbank Centre, I will know that all my hard work has been worthwhile. I find it really uplifting that something positive can have come from my experiences and knowing that thousands of people (including my friends and family) will also visit the exhibition, means so much to me.