At the opening evening on October 8, society members gathered with hospital charity representatives Eleanor Engel and Joss Blake to see amazing contributions ranging from wildlife to street life, abstracts, sculptural images, landscape, portrait, body art and more, a feast for patients, staff and visitors during October.
After viewing the photos, fortified with refreshments, Eleanor talked of the miles of hospital corridors they wanted to fill with art, the 1,800 images on show with 350 more in storage.
Neville Morgan from the photographic society, who organised the show, was delighted that 27 members had contributed 60 prints displaying the talent and commitment of members to photography and public art, and that some of the proceeds from sales would go to the Royal Free charity.
The win-win collaboration between the society and the Royal Free Hospital originated with Neville, who donated two large urban photographs to the hospital following successful treatment there.
The Royal Free’s art collection includes paintings, photographs and sculptures, derived from commissions, historical portraits of eminent, trailblazing, especially women doctors, and well-known artists from the Painting in Hospitals collection.
But the backbone of the displays, of which it is justly proud, are donations from local artists or collectors, forging strong links between the hospital, local residents and its community.
Photographic society members include amateur, semi and professional photographers from across north London who gather weekly for presentations, talks, and competitions. It is a welcoming, sociable group for those passionate about photography.
As we instinctively know, and evidence confirms it, looking, at, or creating art brings many benefits from simple but valuable pleasure and distraction, to the evidenced emotional, cognitive, physiological and social ones.
It is truly therapeutic, promoting wellbeing, good for everyone at any time, but particularly for patients, hospital staff and visitors given the stresses of their situation or job.
Creativity, art and beauty represent hope, permanence, and sharing, the willingness to reach out and try to understand each the other. It is healing, uplifting, distracting and thought provoking, and we all need more of that.
- Brenda Allen is a patient campaigner.