Richard, a photographer, certainly found the positive in his short stay at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Here, he shares his experience and describes how the CW+ art collection and Arts for All programme helped him in his recovery.
I am happy to report that I am at home, and I have a spring in my step and optimism for the future. A lot of this has to do with a very well-run hospital that has restored this artist, photographer and film maker to a pain-free existence.
‘On this occasion, I found myself on the other side of the lens’
My career means that I am used to being behind the lens and looking at other people – my subjects. But on this occasion, I found myself on the other side of the lens, with a camera exploring parts of me that had never seen the light of day.
It was an extraordinary experience to see myself on the screen with a tiny camera exposing my intestines in a close-up and rather surprising way. The film crew (as I shall call the team who carried out the scan) were very thorough and caring – they commented along the way as to what they could see. They were very reassuring, and I felt able to go back to my usual daily life shortly after the scan had finished. I did, however, eventually need to return to the Chelsea and Westminster via the very well-run A&E department.
‘The natural world was calling me’
I was given a bed in St Mary Abbots Ward on the fifth floor. What a magnificent view! Despite the pain, I considered myself fortunate to have the chance to spend a week in a Chelsea penthouse right by a huge window. I was able to see and photograph the sun rising and setting – the latter against the backdrop of the financial part of London. The City has never looked more appealing.
Lying on my bed, I had the choice of looking at the fluctuating story of the day’s weather reflected in the sky, or gazing at the lightbox in the ceiling above my bed. The flowers were a constant reminder that outside the ward the natural world was calling me.
There were six of us in the ward, all in varying degrees of discomfort or pain, and I got to know each one and their particular ailments. We bonded over the view, with those able to walk to the window looking out in awe at a panorama they had never seen before. We all objected when someone tried to pull the blind down!
‘I’d like to thank you for shining a light into a dark moment in my life’
Time passed relatively quickly, particularly when I was able to wander into the public areas outside the ward and use them as a sort of free art gallery. There were also concerts and dance displays every day, which added another dimension to the usually medical-focused day.
Dear paintings, sculptures and lino-cuts, I’d just like to thank you for shining a light into a dark moment in my life. Your just being there meant a lot to me! You stimulated my own art practice.
I am not sure I saw everything, but there were excellent examples of abstract paintings by John Piper, and the waterfall over five floors is spectacular. Do go and have a look if you are in the area.
Of course, we all know that having access to such a wealth of art isn’t cheap and the NHS is receiving a lot of criticism because of waiting lists. Well, waiting in a gallery isn’t such a bad thing and I am not alone in enjoying the lunchtime performances. One day, a pianist sang Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’. It was a great lift for those waiting. No proof, but the cultural mix contributed to the way I was treated, and the attitude of the staff reflected an individual approach that made me feel fully human.
‘You never know when you might be an “insider”’
It is worth making a contribution to the Thirty at Thirty campaign – give as much as you can if my message resonates. The great and good as well as the ordinary and even impoverished are just as susceptible to getting ill. You never know when you too might be an ‘insider’ captivated by the ‘surround sound’ artistic environment, which adds to a happier hospital experience.
CW+ has a collection of more than 2,000 artworks including bespoke commissions, many of which are on display in our hospitals and clinics. They play an important role in creating a positive healing environment for patients.
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