The Unforgotten Prisoner

For members of his family, this sculpture remains one of the most profound pieces that Philip made. He did not talk about it and his family regarded it as a bit mystery that has revealed itself through time.

It consists of a concrete tower with its top enclosed by a grill of prison bars. A figure, its legs braced against the inner walls, hangs on to one of the bars. Whilst looking down into the darkness, the other hand thrusts what appears to be the key through the bars, as if asking the witness to release him from imprisonment.

'The Unforgotten Prisoner' by Philip Betts [55x40x40cm]
Philip offered a simple explanation:"We are prisoners of our own actions and whilst we have the key to break out we never use it."

This is one of the most powerful of his sculptures, as it appears to gently address and encapsulate much of human struggle. It is all the more poignant that, conscious of his own struggle to express himself, Philip completed this shortly before he became ill.

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