We've all undoubtedly and unfortunately had to spend some time in hospital at one point or another, and whilst the staff generally do their best to make our stays as palatable as possible, the buildings themselves are often drab and unwelcoming. To rectify this, albeit on a rather humble scale, Jewellery designer brand Tatty Devine has designed a series of site specific installations at The Royal London Hospital’s new building in order to bring a bit of colour and life to the building's interior design. Royal London has, of course, worked with many artists and designers in recent years, including such names as Morag Myerscough, Tord Boontje and Chris Haughton, but this is perhaps the most ambitious project yet for the hospital.
“We are delighted to have created artworks to fill the Children’s imaging department, helping make hospital visits a better experience for children”
Vital Arts, the charitably funded arts organisation for Barts Health NHS Trust, has commissioned the works, which now cover the children’s imaging department. The installation is collectively known as “All that Glitters may be Bones,” and is made up of thousands of individual, laser-cut acrylic pieces, which the brand is famous for. These pieces, however, have all been created with the theme of x-rays and bones very much in mind. Waiting areas, corridors and treatment rooms have all been redesigned so that they’re less frightening and more engaging for children according to Vital Arts. The pieces are placed together to form a bold, kaleidoscopic effect that looks dazzling in pictures, but their tactile nature means they should make an even greater impression in the flesh.
The different colours in the Royal London Hospital installation serve to distinguish separate areas, including a pink area for breastfeeding mothers, and autumnal colours for the adolescent waiting room, which is different from the softer hues in the waiting area for younger patients. Tatty Devine has also decked out the hospital’s large, state-of-the-art imaging equipment with a mesmerising explosion of colourful, reflective and glittering shapes. The shapes are mostly bones, of course, but they also include a few surprises too, which have transformed the experience of children undergoing procedures in the department.
“It was fantastic to realise our ideas in such a different environment and we hope it makes people smile for years to come”
Tatty Devine Co-founder, Rosie Wolfenden, said: “We are delighted to have created artworks to fill the Children’s imaging department, helping make hospital visits a better experience for children especially those within our local community. It was fantastic to realise our ideas in such a different environment and we hope it makes people smile for years to come.” Barts Health lead paediatric radiographer at NHS Trust, Martin Shute, added: “Working closely with Vital Arts and Tatty Devine at the beginning of the project meant that the artists understood exactly how all the spaces within the imaging department are used, and the specificity of our patient demographics. The variety of colour serves to distinguish separate areas, including a soothing pink area for breastfeeding mothers, and an Autumnal palette for the adolescent waiting room, which, again, is different from the softer hues in the waiting area for our youngest patients.”
Based in the East End since 1999, Tatty Devine are friends and business partners Harriet Vine and Rosie Wolfenden, who studied art together at the Chelsea School of Art. Through their trademark statement jewellery, they have created a cult following amongst forward-thinking fashionistas in London and around the world. They were both awarded MBEs in 2013 for their service to the fashion industry, and this latest work only serves to underline that honour!
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.
