BY: DANIEL KORN
Bethlem Royal Hospital is Europe’s oldest surviving psychiatric hospital, built in London in 1247 as a centre for donations to the Church of Bethlehem before being revamped in 1330 as a hospital.
Though the history of mental health care is fraught with stories of patient mistreatment and a general inability to actually help patients with their ailments, modern psychiatric care is a much more sensitive science. One potentially interesting avenue of treatment is art therapy, wherein the guided creation of art is used, in the words of The British Association of Art Therapists, “as a medium to address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing.” Patients’ work is usually not exhibited due to their intensely personal nature.
The Bethlem Gallery, then, is in a unique position. Situated on the grounds of the Royal Hospital itself, it showcases artwork, in both group and solo exhibits, of individuals who have used the services of the South London and Maudley NHS Foundation Trust.
There’s definitely something to the point that exhibiting patients’ work like this serves to glorify severe mental illness. But it’s balanced out by the positives: engendering a consistent relationship between patients and health care practitioners; providing individuals a productive, rewarding way to work through their illnesses; and hopefully removing the stigma of discussing mental illness by fostering greater understanding in non-afflicted people.
Sources: lehighvalleylive.com, wordpress.com, bethlemgallery.com, bethlemgallery.com
