 |
| Untitled 2012 NYC |
Would you buy this piece? I would.
Would you believe its actually a series of drawings produced by a bored hospital patient on paper napkins? You should, because this is exactly what I encountered this past weekend while working. Even though I was wearing my therapist hat that day, the quality of this effort was not lost on me.
It immediately caught my eye upon walking into the room. The artist was humble about the work, unwilling to admit that their wall treatment had added significant value to an otherwise 'artistically-bankrupt' room.
This seemingly simple statement was a way for the patient to exert some influence and possibly even minor control over their environment. This is understandable, in a place where your sleeping, bathing, socializing, eating and elimination are controlled and monitored at all times. When I asked the patient about the work, they confessed that they are an artist by trade and that they found doodling to be an enjoyable way to pass the time. The more I probed, I found out that the patient also found this practice comforting.
The infusion of individual influence on the immediate environment has a therapeutic value, and is an inherent psychological response. Whether adding artwork, arranging items in space, or changing the color of a wall, its evident that we all have preferences that resonate in our personal space, even if that space is only temporarily personal. In the case of my patient/artist, there was something calming and enjoyable about being surrounded by visually interesting stimuli. For others, it could be a certain type of music, or quality of light.
Promoting and encouraging this phenomenon in healthcare settings is entirely feasible and seems like a worthwhile venture, especially in a place like NYC where artists are possibly our best natural resource. In addition, allowing personal influence over space would likely impact quality indicators such as patient satisfaction scores.
