St Marys Hospital
A group touring exhibition about breathing and health curated by Jean Fraser
Drawing Breath Recycled: Maps and Journeys is a group touring exhibition based on a coastal cycle journey carried out by photographic artist and emphysema patient Jean Fraser in the summer of 2007. The exhibition includes photographic work by Jean, and new work by two invited artists who had supported Jean on her journey: a sound piece by artist and writer Rosa Ainley and mapping and xray lightbox artwork by multi-media artist Sue Ridge. Also included is work carried out by Jean with Year 5 school children.
Diagnosed in 2000, Jean left her NHS post as a state-registered art therapist in 2005 due to ill-health. Concerned about raising the profile of lung disease, her subsequent cycle journey around the coast between her home town of Whitstable and Hastings involved different groups and individuals with various interests in breathing and health including members of her British Lung Foundation Breathe Easy support group, the local NHS community respiratory team, Herne Bay Junior School, and Betteshanger Brass Band at Deal. The cycle journey is documented on Jean’s website www.drawingbreath.org, and both the journey and the exhibition have been supported by Arts Council England. Last year Jean completed a further ride – Hastings to the Isle of Wight – where she joined Breathe Easy Isle of Wight for their tenth birthday celebration.
Jean’s photographic work integrates within her journey’s landscape some of the many individuals who helped to make the journey possible. Both Sue Ridge’s and Rosa Ainley’s work is also collaborative; Rosa has worked with NHS speech therapists on a sound piece inspired by the World War 2 sound mirrors at Hythe, and Sue has used Jean and Rosa’s writing in the production of Ordnance Survey style maps of the cycle route. Her xray lightbox artwork has used her own and Jean’s chest xrays. A health-based artist’s residency was carried out by Jean with school children, centering on a life-size driftwood cycle sculplture using wood from the Kent coast – photographs are included here.
The exhibition is currently on display – July – September 2010 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Isle of Wight – Full Circle Restaurant and the Respiratory Outpatients Department.
Entrance Free – Daily at Full Circle – By appointment at Respiratory Outpatients.
Drawing Breath Recycled: Maps and Journeys was launched at the Horsebridge Gallery in Whitstable and has since toured to Conquest Hospital, Hastings, Eastbourne District General Hospital, and several public libraries. To book the exhibition please contact Jean Fraser on 07801 070204, or email: jeansfraser@yahoo.co.uk.
