Sean Hollywood Centre Welcomes Launch of Evocative ‘Soundscape’

The Sean Hollywood Arts Centre welcomes the launch of an evocative ‘soundscape’ vinyl LP, entitled ‘Unlocked’ by local sculptor and artist, Raymond Watson on Tuesday, 14 May.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairman, Councillor Mark Murnin said, “I am delighted to see Raymond’s work being launched here at Sean Hollywood. We have come to know Raymond as a talented sculptor, this new work, using the medium of sound, will prove to be both thought-provoking and interesting.”

The innovative piece was created with items recovered from the Crumlin Road Prison, Belfast, including keys and their brass and aluminum ID (identification) tags, a steel prison food tray, an original ‘prison made’ grappling hook (surreptitiously constructed by prisoners intending to escape), locks and grills. It follows on from an audio-visual exhibition that was exhibited in 2017 which displayed hundreds of the original keys.

Raymond, who was held in Crumlin Road Prison during the Troubles, said, “From the closed confines of a small prison cell, external sounds–keys, grills, locks, footsteps, voices, silence and random noise often provided a visual picture of what was happening beyond the locked door - the origin of this ‘sound sculpture’ - hopefully the vision that you will have as a listener, will be generated by you, your own confined space and your interaction with this sonic experience.”

Additional instrumental music was created by Raymond’s daughters Toraigh and Dara, on flute and harp.