'Purpose-built' Art in Hospitals: Art with Intent

by Judy Rollins

Overview

Over the past three decades, guidance on the selection of art in hospitals has suggested realistic art that depicts soothing and comforting images such as tranquil waters, green vegetation, flowers, and open spaces. Based on these findings, curators have been cautioned to avoid art with uncertain meaning that risks upsetting viewers in stressful states. However, some hospitals exhibit ambiguous or abstract art and cite anecdotal evidence of its appropriateness for healthcare settings. More recent research is going beyond anecdotal evidence, and indicates that the ambiguity of meaning in abstract compositions can have positive effects.

'Purpose-built' Art in Hospitals is built on an international study of artwork in hospitals around the globe. Exploring 'purpose-built' (specially commissioned) artwork in hospitals through the dual lens of an artist and healthcare professional, Rollins identifies 15 specific 'purposes' of visual artwork in hospitals and presents a compelling case for their use that is grounded in research. The book builds the reader's understanding of the many functions of artwork in hospitals, with the goal of encouraging greater variety in art offerings to better serve the many diverse needs of patients, families, visitors and staff within the hospital environment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781839096839
Publisher:	Emerald Publishing Limited
Publication date:	03/15/2024
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.54(d)

About the Author

Judy Rollins is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine and Pediatrics at Georgetown University, Adjunct Lecturer in the Center for Arts in Medicine at University of Florida College of Arts and a Scholar at The Institute for Integrative Health, USA. She is also the President of Rollins & Associates Research and Consulting, with nearly 40 years' experience of arts in health within hospitals, hospices, military settings and wider communities. She is a two-time winner of the American Journal of Nursing's Book of the Year Award, with her major publications including Meeting Children's Psychosocial Needs Across the Health-Care Continuum (2005, 2018) and Therapeutic Activities for Children and Teens Coping with Health Issues (2011).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The Hospital Experience 
Chapter 2. Art for Soothing and Comforting 
Chapter 3. Art for Transcendence 
Chapter 4. Art for Empathy 
Chapter 5. Art for Inspiration and Hope 
Chapter 6. Art for Spirituality 
Chapter 7. Art for Joy 
Chapter 8. Art for Interaction 
Chapter 9. Art for Identity 
Chapter 10. Art for Messaging 
Chapter 11. Art for Wayfinding  
Chapter 12. Art to Build Community 
Chapter 13. Art to Build Relationships 
Chapter 14. Art for Dialogue 
Chapter 15. Art for Remembrance 
Chapter 16. Art for Museum Encounters 
Chapter 17. Transforming the Hospital Experience Through Art 
Chapter 18. Conclusions and Looking Forward

Editorial Reviews

''Purpose-built' Art in Hospitals: Art with Intent is a must-read for anyone interested in the impact of art on healthcare. With its insightful analysis and rich case studies, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.'

Ty Murphy

‘Anyone selecting art for hospitals should study this book, now the most up-to-date and authoritative resource for visual art in healthcare environments, and one that helps to bridge the gap between healthcare architecture and design on the one hand and arts in health on the other.’

Hank Hancock