Nigel Poor’s San Quentin Project

In 2011, artist and educator Nigel Poor began teaching a history of photography class through the Prison University Project at San Quentin Prison (California). Neither books nor cameras were allowed into the facility so an unorthodox approach was required, involving a range of inventive mapping exercises. Students began by creating ’verbal photographs’, describing the scenes that they were unable to photograph due to their incarceration. Another exercise involved students annotating iconic images from the history of photography, often drawing connections to their own lives.

During the project Poor received access to thousands of photographic negatives, held in the prison’s archive. Dating from the 60s and 70s, the images were originally made by Corrections Officers during the completion of their everyday duties. Often banal yet sometimes brutal, the images provided a platform for students to share their own reflections upon incarceration.

The Prison Mobile Library

Alongside The San Quentin Project are a series of images from The Prison Mobile Library, a project supporting those imprisoned across the South West to create photographic stories, with outcomes distributed via participating prison libraries. The project began in early 2024, with workshops first delivered at HMP Channings Wood (South Devon). Participants began by exploring the history of photography, before creating their own images, reflecting upon their experiences within prison.

The Prison Mobile Library is an ongoing project and will continue to deliver workshops across the region throughout 2024 and 2025. It is delivered by IC Visual Lab, in collaboration with Bristol Photo Festival and Weston College.