Charity celebrates 30th anniversary of Bridget Riley murals at St Mary's
Charity celebrates 30th anniversary of Bridget Riley murals at St Mary's
07 August 2017
This year marks three decades since Bridget Riley’s colourful murals were installed on the eighth and ninth floors of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother building (QEQM) at St Mary’s Hospital.
Unveiled back in 1987, the striking patterns are among the most memorable in the charity’s collection and continue to delight visitors today.
Riley, now in her 80s, was commissioned by the architect John Weeks to create the two murals on the eighth and ninth floors. A third mural was created on the 10th floor in 2014.
The unique patterns take inspiration from a visit Riley made to Egypt in the early 1980s, echoing the fixed colour palettes and decorative style of architectural painting used by the Ancient Egyptians.
Reflecting on the designs, Riley described how painting for decoration requires a more passive rhythm and arrangement of colour lines as the viewer absorbs the image while walking past, rather than looking directly at a canvas.
Speaking at the unveiling of the third mural in 2014, she said: “The hospital corridor paintings embrace the whole space. They aim to lift the spirits and remind one of the life outside the hospital, while in no way interfering with the essential activities which must go on. Wonderful murals transform environments into uplifting places for patients and staff.”
In the 30 years since the murals were unveiled, feedback from patients and staff has been overwhelmingly positive. The bright colours have brought to life what were once pale and clinical hospital corridors.
Lucy Zacaria, Head of Arts at Imperial Health Charity, said: “The murals are without doubt one of the highlights of the collection. The staff at QEQM love them and we’re often asked by other teams if they can have something similar on their ward.
“The striking patterns have totally transformed the space and made it feel a lot less clinical – and this has had a genuine impact on patients’ wellbeing during their time in hospital.
“We will always be grateful to Bridget for her generosity in creating these artworks for us. They continue to delight and inspire visitors to the hospital every day.”
To mark the anniversary, the charity is working with the Chelsea Community Hospital School to run a special creative workshop for children at St Mary’s on Thursday (10 August).
Young patients will be given the chance to create their own artworks, inspired by Riley’s murals, using strips of coloured paper.
The school provides education for children and young people aged between four and 18 while they are in hospital. St Mary’s is one of four London hospitals the school works with to offer classes on a weekly basis.
