Camden-review-feature-Artist Frances Newman's Scene Unseen II exhibition at the UCLH Gallery-By Howard Hannah

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - FEATURE
Published: 8 May 2008

Obstetric domestic

Camden features | artist Frances Newman | Scene Unseen II exhibition at UCLH Gallery

FRANCES Newman used to be a nurse at University College London Hospital before she became an artist.
And for the past 18 months she has been back at her old workplace as an artist in residence.
From this week you can see the fruits of her residency – a series of stunning drawings (graphite, chalk, pen and ink wash) of workers at the hospital – on show in Scene Unseen II at the hospital’s Street Gallery in Euston Road.
Newman’s residency follows an established tradition of artists working in hospitals.
Barbara Hepworth, for example, spent a residency at a hospital in Exeter in the late 1940s, but whereas her focus was very much on the surgeons and nurses at work in the operating theatres, Newman’s subjects are mainly the non-medical staff who keep the great institution functioning in rather less dramatic roles – the concierges, the domestics and the canteen workers.
During her residency, as she was drawing one group of subjects, they would introduce her to another group and so she got to know more and more of the hospital staff.
For us patient punters, Newman’s pictures offer a fascinating glimpse of the working lives that we barely notice when we are distracted by preoccupations with our own or our friends’ illnesses.
These put doctors and nurses in the foreground.
Here we have a chance to examine the “backroom” staff.
And for those staff, the exhibition – hosted by UCLH Arts – is a celebration of the work that the hospital does.
Howard Hannah
• Scene Unseen II at the UCLH Street Gallery, 235 Euston Road, London NW1 from May 9-July 1.
Open all hours

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

» Exhibition Listings
» Exhibition Tickets