Bells
01-03-07, 11:28 PM
I must admit I had a good chuckle when I read this.
WORKS of art meant to cheer up patients at a Canadian cardiac hospital have been removed after complaints they made people feel tense and increased their blood pressure.
"The idea was to try to brighten up the place and make it alive," said Robert Roberts, head of the Ottawa Heart Institute.
"But our choice of austere paintings instead increased our patients' blood pressure slightly.
"Most people who have a heart attack come here to feel better. But, the paintings made people feel tense, and nurses noticed patients were more agitated while waiting to have their blood pressure tested."
Link (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21005407-13762,00.html)
Now I have heard of art therapy and how certain colours or images are meant to make people feel better. I'd guess it's one of the reasons why so many hospitals now paint their walls in the ghastly happy colours. However one would think that if an experiment were in order, a cardiac hospital would not be the first choice.
Another piece by Paul Butler with the words "getting there is half the fun" splashed across the canvass was deemed a bad choice to greet patients heading into an operating room, he added.
Heh!!
I shouldn't laugh, but honestly, who would hang a painting with the words "getting there is half the fun" scrawled over the top of it in front of an operating room? I would imagine the patients looking at that painting would not be agreeing with the sentiment behind the painting's message.
"Knowing what to put in and where is part of the experiment," Mr Roberts said.
"So far, we've found that it's important to have colourful, cheerful paintings rather than serious content."
Art therapist Sharon Mintz told public broadcaster CBC that art in hospitals should be safe.
"No pussycats playing bridge, dogs playing poker or Elvis on velvet," she said.
Indeed.
Maybe someone should point out to Mintz that paintings with cats playing bridge might have been a better choice than one with "getting there is half the fun" splashed on a canvas considering it was placed in front of an operating room.:bugeye:
WORKS of art meant to cheer up patients at a Canadian cardiac hospital have been removed after complaints they made people feel tense and increased their blood pressure.
"The idea was to try to brighten up the place and make it alive," said Robert Roberts, head of the Ottawa Heart Institute.
"But our choice of austere paintings instead increased our patients' blood pressure slightly.
"Most people who have a heart attack come here to feel better. But, the paintings made people feel tense, and nurses noticed patients were more agitated while waiting to have their blood pressure tested."
Link (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21005407-13762,00.html)
Now I have heard of art therapy and how certain colours or images are meant to make people feel better. I'd guess it's one of the reasons why so many hospitals now paint their walls in the ghastly happy colours. However one would think that if an experiment were in order, a cardiac hospital would not be the first choice.
Another piece by Paul Butler with the words "getting there is half the fun" splashed across the canvass was deemed a bad choice to greet patients heading into an operating room, he added.
Heh!!
I shouldn't laugh, but honestly, who would hang a painting with the words "getting there is half the fun" scrawled over the top of it in front of an operating room? I would imagine the patients looking at that painting would not be agreeing with the sentiment behind the painting's message.
"Knowing what to put in and where is part of the experiment," Mr Roberts said.
"So far, we've found that it's important to have colourful, cheerful paintings rather than serious content."
Art therapist Sharon Mintz told public broadcaster CBC that art in hospitals should be safe.
"No pussycats playing bridge, dogs playing poker or Elvis on velvet," she said.
Indeed.
Maybe someone should point out to Mintz that paintings with cats playing bridge might have been a better choice than one with "getting there is half the fun" splashed on a canvas considering it was placed in front of an operating room.:bugeye: