Peter Randall Page, Southmead Hospital, 2014. Photo © Max McClure, courtesy of the artist and Willis Newson.
Synopsis
As part of the development of Southmead Hospital Bristol, British artist Peter Randall-Page was commissioned to create a water feature for the Medical Day Gardens to encourage and enable quiet contemplation and reflection.
A calm and attractive environment can be an important element in healing. A garden provides spiritual nourishment through contact with nature.Peter Randall-Page
The development of Southmead Hospital Bristol integrated a major public art programme, featuring the work of nationally and internationally recognised artists, including a sculpture by Peter Randall-Page.
The water feature Peter created is hand-carved from a naturally eroded boulder sourced from Dartmoor. It features a carved rippling pattern in low relief and a central hole allowing the water to flow out across the entire surface.
Peter worked with granite to create the sculpture, chosen for its low porosity, longevity and general suitability for a water sculpture. He wanted to use a material which originated in the South West to connect in with the local area and decided to use a natural boulder from Dartmoor.
Peter Randall-Page’s water sculpture creates a peaceful place for contemplation in the gardens of the hospital. The carved stone is surrounded by pebbles and subtly lit after dark.
Peter commented “A calm and attractive environment can be an important element in healing. A garden provides spiritual nourishment through contact with nature. I hope that my sculpture, incorporating gently running water, will add to the meditative atmosphere of the courtyard and be conducive to a contemplative and healing environment for both patients and staff.”
The public art programme for the new Southmead Hospital was led by arts consultants Willis Newson, commissioned by the developers of the site, Carillion. Underpinning the project was a close collaboration between North Bristol NHS Trust and its arts programme Fresh Arts, architects Building Design Partnership (BDP), the commissioned artists, Carillion & Willis Newson. Willis Newson also worked with Theresa Bergne of Field Art Projects.
Peter Randall-Page was born in the UK in 1954 and studied sculpture at Bath Academy of Art from 1973-1977. During the past 25 years Peter Randall-Page has gained an international reputation through his sculpture drawings and prints. He has undertaken numerous large scale commissions and exhibited widely. His work is held in public and private collections throughout the world including Japan, South Korea, Australia, USA, Turkey, Eire, Germany and the Netherlands. A selection of his public sculptures can be found in many urban and rural locations throughout the UK including London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Oxford and Cambridge and his work is in the permanent collections of the Tate Gallery and the British Museum amongst others.
In 1999, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the University of Plymouth, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from York St John University in 2009 and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Exeter University in 2010; from 2002 to 2005 he was an Associate Research Fellow at Dartington College of Arts.
Recent projects include ‘Green Fuse’ for the Jerwood Sculpture Park, Ragley Hall and a major one person exhibition in and around the Underground Gallery at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, June 2009 – April 2010.
Southmead Hospital Bristol is a £430m new hospital for Bristol developed by the NHS Trust and PFI developers Carillion. The hospital is an 800 bed acute hospital built on the existing Southmead site.
The public arts programme led by Willis Newson was part of the PFI initiative and built on research which clearly demonstrates the direct benefits for patients of incorporating visual and performing arts into the hospital environment.
Willis Newson is a leading Bristol-based independent arts consultancy specialising in creative approaches to improving health and wellbeing. It develops & delivers public art strategies for new builds and refurbishments, manages public engagement programmes, offers an affordable design service for healthcare and provides advice and guidance on using art & design to create healthy environments.
Willis Newson was established in 2001 and has since carried out over 200 projects for more than 31 NHS Trusts, as well as working on projects for private healthcare clients, contractors and architects.
