Current Exhibition

Ron Levine Gary Pinyon (detail) 1996  C-Print © Ron Levine	Ron Levine Calvin Selman 1997 C-Print © Ron Levine
Ron Levine Earl Brunson 2004 C-Print © Ron Levine	Ron Levine Eddie Francis 2004 C-Print © Ron Levine

"Prisoners of Age” is a powerful series of photographs of inmates and corrections personnel from prisons in the United States and Canada. This moving exhibition captures the complexity of a subject that is seldom contemplated - aging offenders in the correctional system. The project has been exhibited at Alcatraz Penitentiary, The National Archives of Canada, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, and Kilmainham Gaol, Ireland.

Canadian photographer Ron Levine’s portraits are immense and command the viewer's attention, being dramatically suspended from the gallery’s ceilings and walls. The prints include text from interviews with inmates and corrections personnel that reveal the true stories behind the portraits. "Prisoners of Age” presents the stories of some of the most marginalized members of our society in their own words, revealing much of themselves. Levine seeks a balance of the two dispositions, through images and text, lending insight into the lawbreaker's proclivity to commit crime.

There is an accompanying documentary on show and a hardcover publication for sale. The television documentary (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) explores, illuminates and extends Levine's groundbreaking project with geriatric prisoners. Journeying with Levine on a series of photo shoots in Canadian and American prisons, we discover why he has embarked on this artistic pursuit, what he seeks to reveal, who his subjects are and why we should care. With Levine as our gateway, the film provides an immersion into the world of the aging prisoners, revealing a number of important social issues surrounding the aging prison population, and bringing forth the personal dimension of this human tragedy.