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5th June 2017
11:04am BST
Super talented street artist Joe Caslin, known for his large-scale black and white drawings, has released ‘The Volunteers’, a powerful new piece of public art in Front Square of Trinity College.
The installation, which popped up over the weekend, is the first of a three-part about modern volunteerism and some of Ireland’s most pressing issues: drug addiction, mental health, and direct provision.
The eye-catching Trinity art work looks at the decriminalisation of drug addiction and shows three figures involved with drug addiction policy change.
Caslin’s drawing features Fiona O’Reilly, Managing Director of SafetyNet, a primary care service to people who are homeless.
To Fiona’s left in the drawing is a male figure representing the medical establishment’s lapses in drug abuse intervention.
At the centre of the piece sits Rachel Keogh, an advocate in recovery from heroin addiction.
Senator Lynn Ruane, also featured in the installation, sees clear strategies for reform that honour the dignity of every person.
Come say hi at @tcddublin for the @joecaslin #thevolunteers drawing to #reducetheharm. We'll be pasting til lunch on Sunday! pic.twitter.com/qBRAw8wtr2
— Erin Fornoff (@jarsofshine) June 3, 2017
Last day of pasting @joecaslin's #TheVolunteers in @tcddublin. Art advocating a health-based rather than a criminal response to drug use. ????? pic.twitter.com/CveiOR4S5h
— Sinéad Burke (@TheSineadBurke) June 4, 2017
Fiona said that "as a society we deamonise some form of illness and determine others worthy of treatment. Class determines who we care for and who we criminalise.”
Senator Lynn Ruane states that: “The Controlled Drugs and Harm Reduction Bill introduced by Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and I is intended to tackle the challenges of addiction in a way that truly helps solve it.”
Go check out this amazing piece of art and open up your mind.
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