A therapist who launched violent prisoners – together with assassin Jimmy Boyle – to artwork has died.
Joyce Laing labored in Barlinnie Jail in Glasgow from 1973. The jail’s particular unit pioneered artwork remedy as a way of rehabilitation.
Laing died on Sunday in her early 90s. Born in Aberdeen, she studied at Grey’s College of Artwork earlier than changing into Scotland’s first artwork therapist.
She went on to work with sufferers in psychological well being wards and prisoners, most notably on the Barlinnie particular unit, which accommodated Scotland’s most violent and unmanageable inmates.
In a BBC Radio Scotland interview in 2007, Laing spoke about her experiences. She stated: “When you can channel that power into constructive creation as an alternative of a damaging creation, then you definately’re on to a winner.”
Psychotherapist Sara Trevelyan married Boyle in 1980 whereas he was an inmate within the Barlinnie particular unit. She stated: “Jimmy was impressed by Joyce to go on a journey of expressing his skills by way of sculpture.
“Joyce noticed how the work of every particular person might categorical their internal state of being. She knew it was a key to transformation for a lot of of those folks.”
Boyle went on to change into a profitable sculptor and creator.
Laing donated greater than 1100 items of artwork to Glasgow Museums in 2012. Subsequent yr an exhibit celebrating 50 years of the Barlinnie paintings will likely be proven at Kelvingrove Artwork Gallery.
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