What do photography and incarceration have in common with an empty vase?
My intention from the start was to address prison as a set of social relations, rather than think about it as this rigid space, Martins explains. And in doing so, kind of rethinking, or even countering, the sort of imagery that we normally associate with incarceration  which, as we all know, revolves around themes of violence, drugs, criminality, race, and so on.  HMP Birmingham was managed by the private security firm G4S between 2011 and 2018, until its contract was permanently terminated after inspectors found the premises appalling state to be the worst [theyd] come across. Shooting between 2017 and 2020 (a chaotic period which saw the turnover of four different prison directors), Martins made regular visits to the prison, building relationships with inmates and their loved ones on family days  but none of the images were taken inside its walls. Neither are we told where or when they were shot; who or what is depicted, or how they pertain to the prisoners lives. This choice was made in large part to counter the typical role of documentary-style storytelling in such contexts. The artist has often criticised the potential to misrepresent, exploit, or sensationalise the image of prisoners; meanwhile the crippling consequences of incarceration on inmates, and the trauma of their families, are issues that seldom see the light. Since [traditional documentary] images alone cant communicate the complexity of what it is to experience incarceration, Martins mission became one of engaging in conversations about prison using a different kind of visual vocabulary: photography as catachresis.