Health Care Fine Art

Is Abstract Art relevant today?

Catalog for the current exhibit: Action/Abstraction: Pollock, de Kooning, and American Art, 1940-1976

The use of abstract art in healthcare is controversial. But where does abstract art fit in the larger art world; beyond the walls of hospitals? The exhibit: "Action/Abstraction: Pollock, de Kooning, and American Art, 1940-1976" has me ruminating on the history of abstract art and it's place today.

My conclusion: Abstract art is now a minor player in the confusing jumble of contemporary art.

Richard Kalina wrote in the September issue of Art in America:

Does...abstraction have anything to tell us about today? In what ways ... does this relate to the problems we face in a much larger and more complex artworld? Art now seems to have no boundaries, literally and figuratively. Art is made and displayed virtually anywhere in an exponentially expanding art world of art fairs, biennials ... the Internet...essentially in any form conceivable.

On the one hand this is liberating, on the other it is confusing.

It is confusing! It would be so much easier if there was truth in art like the time period covered by this exhibit (1940-1976). During that era Art critics Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenburg wrote convincing essays about right and wrong. They believed there was one right truth about art. Many artists and art connoisseurs believed them.

Today that is all gone and abstract art is now merely one of a thousand possible answers for what art can be. I miss that era of certainty!

The book of the exhibit is available from Amazon.com, click here

Information on the exhibit at the Jewish Museum, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo can be found by clicking here

Green Design - a Hoax?

It seems that all HealthCare Design projects and products are "Green" these days. Are they really good for the environment or is it just a big hoax for the PR effect?

Thomas Friedman's new book: "Hot, Flat and Crowded" argues that most of what we call "green" today is just fluff to make us feel good without really doing anything meaningful:

I've heard so many people saying, "We're having a green revolution". Of course, there is certainly a lot of green buzz out there. But whenever I hear that "we're having a green revolution" line I can't resist firing back: "Really?, Really? A green revolution? Have you ever seen a revolution where no one got hurt? That's the one we're having, everyone's a winner, nobody has to give up anything, and that adjective that most often modifies "green revolution" is "easy." That's not a revolution. That's a party. ... mostly a costume party. It's all about looking green...

Even hospital art is trying to go green. I've covered the idea of green framing and green artists on other posts. Most "Green Design" in healthcare is a hoax, a harmless hoax.

There are exceptions. Recently I met Richard Dallam, partner with design firm NBBJ. He explained how their new office at Alley24 was green in many ways: lighting, ventilation and sustainability. For their efforts they were awarded an LEED Gold rating. He is designing hospitals using the same principles. Richard commented:

It's unfortunate that so many of the good intentions relating to designing a healthier, less environmentally impactful built environment are surrounded by the cloud of "hot air."  There are some legitimately helpful things being done in design that will help the design and construction industries have a substantially lower impact on the environment.

If you want to move from symbolic gestures to meaningful action on green issues, read this book. It is remarkably well written and fairly easy to read for such a ponderous topic. It's easy to see why he has already won three Pulizer Prizes.

HealthCare Spaces 4

HealthCare Spaces 4 by Roger Yee was just published; mine came last week. I got a complimentary copy since I'm advertising in it this year. It looks to be up to the high standards of the previous editions.

In case you are not familiar with the HealthCare Spaces books, they are richly illustrated coffee table books which showcase the most exciting Healthcare buildings in North America. Looking at the 800 high-quality images is inspiring and lets you know what the top firms are creating.

Observations:

• The color photographs are luscious, but it's hard to tell which are computer generated (CGI) and which are real. Blurred people seem to be the norm in both.
• I was surprised (and pleased) by how forcefully Yee presented the serious problems we face in American with soaring healthcare costs and mediocre results; especially when compared to other developed countries. The provocative opening sentence to the book is: "Being and American may not be automatically bad for your health."
• The use of Art in Healthcare is not discussed but you can see a wide range of 2D and 3D art in many installation shots. Some of the art (especially for kids) is pretty wild (see p. 27, 45, 90-93, 123 & 235).
• There are no Healing Gardens featured, but most of the buildings show attractive conventional landscaping.

Most people who get this book will probably not read the text, but they should. Yee wrote a fine essay "Is Design a Cure?" on p. 252. The key ideas:

• "While design cannot correct America's dsyfunctional healthcare system, it is dramatically improving the healthcare experience for everyone it serves."
• Patient rooms are going to single-room, but at the same time enlarging to allow for exra caregivers (staff and family). If a room is to be variable acuiity (which reduces patient transfers) extra space has to be included for the extra equpment that might be needed.
• Surgical Suites are also expanding - now averaging 600 sq. feet each.
• ERs are rapidly growing since they are often the first place uninsured people go for basic healthcare.
• Healthcare facilities are being designed to welcome families.
• Staff ammenities are geting more attention in an effort to reduce staff turnover (there is a chronic and serious nursing shortage in America). How can design increase the satisfaction of nurses and allow them to deliver more personalized care?
• He concludes the essay and the book by returning to the theme of the healthcare delivery crisis and writes: "Delivering healthcare to all Americans will obviously require profound, innovative and far-reaching social, political and economic solutions."

Healthcare Spaces No. 4 is available on Amazon.com for $37.50. Click here.

 

The Guild Sourcebook, Volume 23

Yesterday the UPS truck showed up with a box containing the latest edition of the Guild Sourcebook of Architectural and Interior Art. This is now Volume 23.

The book is a rich visual reference for those seeking art for healthcare. This year the book features 11 artists that are "Moving Toward Green". I'm happy to say that they asked me to be one of those artists (see p. 250).

To learn more about The Guild Sourcebooks, I interviewed Jenna Brandt in May 2007:

What is unique about your service?

The Guild represents more than 1,200 top artists working in media from glass, sculpture, and prints to furniture, lighting, and jewelry. The Guild Sourcebooks offer a professional and comprehensive marketing package to artists while working to connect the design trade with professional artists and their work. Our Sourcebooks have resulted in thousands of new art commissions for public and private spaces.

How are artists selected for inclusion?

Artists either contact The Guild or The Guild contacts artist about participation in The Guild Sourcebooks. Once an artist has made the decision to participate, a space reservation is made. All artists are then juried into the Sourcebooks based both on quality of artwork and photography. Our jury is comprised of design and art professionals as well as The Guild’s design, production, marketing, and trade professional relations staff members.

Do you have a sense of what percentage of your readers are involved with HealthCare Design?

We have a large number of interior designers, architects, and art consultants who work in healthcare design.  We find that these professionals are interested in both of our books - The Guild Sourcebook of Architectural & Interior Art for public areas, both indoor and out; and The Guild Sourcebook of Residential Art for smaller-scale work for patient rooms and other private areas.

How many copies are printed?

10,000 copies are distributed annually to a select list of North American architects, interior designers, art consultants, public art administrators, landscape architects, liturgical consultants, and other design professionals. This publication showcases site-specific architectural and interior artworks for public, corporate, healthcare, hospitality, and liturgical spaces.

The Guild Sourcebook of Architectural & Interior Art Published each fall since 1985

How many artists are represented?

On average, about 250 artists are represented in each publication.

If someone isn't getting the "book" now, how could they request it?

To register as a Design Professional visit:
www.guild.com/servlet/Guild/AuthenticateDesignPros

Registering as a Design Professional with The Guild is FREE, and allows password-protected access to portions of our website specifically for design professionals. Benefits of registration include:

• Annual editions of Guild Sourcebooks
• Exclusive design professional discount of 15% on all purchases made at www.artfulhome.com
• Direct email access to hundreds of Guild artists
• “Post-a-Project” for instant broadcast of project opportunities directly to Guild artists

 Is there a website that shows the artists?

All current Sourcebook artists are online.  You can view both The Guild Sourcebook of Architectural & Interior Art and The Guild Sourcebook of Residential Art page-for-page in Guild's Custom Design Center at www.guild.com/cdc.

For artists who might be interested in receiving more information. you can contact:
Jenna Brandt
Guild Sourcebooks

The Guild, Inc.
Toll Free: 800.930.1856
jbrandt@guild.com
www.guild.com/cdc

Design Details for Health

How long does a book remain useful after it is published? Most books, especially reference books don't last. "Design Details for Health" seems fresh even thought it has been a decade since it first came out. As Wayne Ruga said: ". . . this book is a reference standard with timeless value."

Granted, nowhere in the book will you see the term "Evidence-based Design" used, because  that phrase was not in widespread use a decade ago.  But the book is packed with useful ideas that would be of real value to Interior Designers working on HealthCare projects.

In 300 pages Ms. Leibrock covers the entire field of Healthcare in depth. Long-term care, Subacture Care, Ambulatory Care and Inpatient Hospitals each gets a section with several chapters. The writing is clear and very practical. Frequent references to "real world" projects are given with pictures and floor plans.

Summary:

• Great Comprehensive Reference Book for Interior Designers working in HealthCare

Pros:

• Practical advice that is easy to access.

• A well constructed book with high quality paper.

Cons

• Very little about the use of Art in Healthcare

• Lots of floor plans and useful photographs, but only a few are in color.

Ms. Leibrock is the principal/founder of EASY ACCESS TO HEALTH (www.AgingBeautifully.org) in Ft. Collins, Colorado, a firm that offers consulting services in patient centered design, planning for independent living. She was selected as a Changemaker in 2002 by the Center for Health Design.

Good New Flower Photography Book

I've read a lot of books on Flower Photography. Christopher Beane's "Flower" stands above the others. This is a large format "coffee table book" that has 150 portrait pictures of flowers.

Most of the pictures go in very tight on the flowers which allows the formal aspects of the picture to be explored; pattern, color and texture. If you have seen my flower pictures you know this is the way I prefer to see them.

Beane has developed this body of work over years. Even though these are all tight flower shots there is remarkable diversity: color, black and white, groupings, black background, white background and even vibrant abstract backgrounds.

I found the pictures of chewed dying leaves (such as "Hops Camouflage 2000") to lack much appeal, but most of the other pictures work well. I think they would fit well into a healthcare interior.

This is a high quality publication: paper and printing (in Singapore) are first class. Many flower books are lean on text, but here the text by Anthony Janson was useful even if he did tend to gush a bit with phrases like ""one of the greatest photographers I have ever run across."

To learn more about the book: www.christopherbeane.net

Essential New Book on Evidence-based Design

I've just finished reading Jain Malkin's new book: A Visual Reference for Evidence-Based Design.

This is a significant book that should be on the desk of everyone involved with HealthCare design.

It describes in clear language how and why you should use Evidence-based Design. Malkin digs in deep and presents the research behind Evidence-based Design (EBD).  Thankfully, she does this in a practical, non-threatening way. This is not a dry academic text but rather a useful handbook, a reference you will want to use frequently when working on projects.

Even more important, since Design is a visual process, the book is filled with hundreds of large full-color pictures that illustrate what she is writing about. These are not just pretty pictures; they frequently have lines drawn to point out key design features.

Summary:

• Outstanding. A "Must Buy"
• The most important book available on Evidence-based Design.

Pros:

• Clear, practical writing
• Visually rich

Cons:

• Not much about the use of Art in Healthcare (only two pages!)
• Expensive ($200)

Minor issues:
I found the way that the  illustrations were clustered after each chapter to be confusing. Why not put them in the body of the text?

I disagree with her emphasis on infection control. Not that it is not important, but I think she over-emphasizes it. In her interview she says: "Infection control is such a big issue today; it has to be the No. 1 thing that architects and designers understand."

Why isn't this book available on Amazon.com? The only way to purchase it now is through the Center for Health Design: click here

The May/June 2008 HC&O News just arrived with a splashy front cover featuring the book. They also have an interview with Jain about the book which you can read by clicking here

Featured Artist: Gregory Crewdson

Brief Encounter by Gregory Crewdson

I just finished another book by Gregory Crewdson: Beneath the Roses.

His dark mysterious photographs are a delight to contemplate. Certainly they would not be well accepted in a hospital setting, but in a collector's home these 4 x 5-foot prints would be stunning.

Many of the images are like the one shown above, often shot just past sunset in small towns. He uses very careful  lighting with multiple light sources: street lights, shop windows, headlights and faint illumination from the gloaming.

Like Jeff Wall he uses actors and elaborate sets to create the scenes he photographs. In the back of the book he has credits, just like in a movie, of the production crew and actors he works with. He often uses 50 or 60 people to help with each image!

I can't imagine working with a crew like that, it would drive me crazy. However, I have been toying with the idea of using actors in my landscapes. This idea came to me when I was reading about the history of landscape painting last year. Historically, landscape paintings almost always showed people. Landscape photographs typically do not show people; but they could...

Art and Fear

One of the books that helped me the most in Art School was: Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland.

This is a very quick read with some very practical advice for those who are contemplating getting serious about making art.

One idea that has stayed with me is Quantity leads to Quality. It has to do with the idea of avoiding the danger of perfectionism. Here is what they wrote:

The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. One side would be graded on quantity of work, the other side quality. The quantity group would be graded on the total weight of their work, whereas those in the quality group had to make only one work. When it came to grading time a curious fact emerged: the works that were of highest quality were all produced by the group being graded for quantity.

To require perfection is to invite paralysis.

Imperfections (or mistakes) are your guides- valuable, reliable, objective, non-judgemental guides- to matters you need to reconsider or develop further.

From my experience, the idea is right. When I see the output of artists who keep working day-in and day-out, their work is better.

If you are interested in reading more of the notes that I took a decade ago, click "continue reading"

Should the Government Regulate Art?

In March I attended the Symposium called “The Importance and Value of Art in Health Care".  One of the best speakers was Bill Ivey. Since he was such a good speaker I figured he would be a good writer so I ordered the book he just wrote : Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights

Conclusion: I disagree with his argument that the government needs to do more to protect the Arts.

The crux of his argument is that art needs the advocacy of government to protect us from the greed of big business. I just can't accept that. The digital era is starting to liberate artists from being dependent on big business.

Most artists these days have websites to reach the public directly. They don't need the government for that.

Artists now have the tools to produce their own finished product without having to rely on a big studio. Musicians can record and distribute their own CDs. Digital tools (cameras, printers, high-speed Internet) have allowed me to run a thriving art business in a remote rural area.

I would argue that the Arts in America are stronger now than they have ever been. One reason for that is that our government for the most part stays out of the way. If we want to ensure that the Arts in America continues to thrive we just need to be sure the government does nothing other than assure artistic freedom.

Bill Ivey was the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1998 through 2001, was director of the Country Music Foundation from 1971 to 1998, and was twice elected Chairman of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He presently serves as founding director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University.