Walls may not be able to talk, but Brett Leigh Dicks reckons he has still heard plenty of colourful yarns by photographing them.
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Over the last year the artist has walked the eerie halls of eight decommissioned gaols across Australia, with his images capturing hundreds of years worth of life on the inside.
According to the Santa Barbara based snapper, human nature draws us to want to know what happens on the other side of prison walls.
“There’s the curiosity factor – we have this inherent curiosity about what’s behind a wall,” he said.
His work saw him visit a variety of Australian gaols, ranging from historical Dubbo and Fremantle to modern operator Parramatta, which only shut in 2011.
He’ll unveil these shots at an exhibition to run in Maitland Gaol’s historical B-wing from December 16.
Ahead of that, on December 9, he’ll run a photography workshop where participants will have the opportunity to explore the prison, camera and flashlight in hand. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Maitland Gaol.
