What's On Your Mind?

Mental health treatment has gone well beyond padded cells and electric shock therapy. Creativity can be a hugely healing force.

Frames of Mind is a new exhibition opening this week at the Croydon Clocktower. The show explores the links between art and mental health by displaying artworks from Bethlem – the psychiatric hospital in Beckenham, south London.

Artworks from the Bethlem Art and History Collections are displayed alongside contemporary pieces of art, created by current patients at the mental health hospital as part of their psychiatric treatment.

The show specifically does not dwell on the mental distress, medical histories or health issues faced by any of the artists whose works are on display. Instead visitors are encouraged to make up their own minds about the value of art and creativity as part of mental health experiences and mental care provision.

For me, this worked to a certain extent. Before I saw the exhibition I was unaware of the huge healing and positive benefits that can be obtained through providing access to the arts for mental health patients. It enlightened me in that respect.

An historical section of the exhibition showed clearly and simply how mental health provision has developed over time and from that I learned a great deal. There’s a particularly impressive timeline running round the room – I love a good timeline in an exhibition.

But if I’m brutally honest, my over-riding emotion as I left the exhibition was that people with mental health issues create – in the main – pretty shoddy art. Nothing moved me, particularly. Many of the contemporary pieces were for sale, but I’m not sure I’d part with my cash for them.

That’s because what we’re seeing in an exhibition like this is people’s personal responses to very individual and often sensitive issues. Many of the artworks are deeply emotional and responsive to ideas and feelings that I’ve just not had. The accompanying leaflet with the artists’ words allows visitors to unpack some of what’s going on in these often complex pieces, but as I don’t really understand the full story, I found it difficult to engage.

If, like me, you don’t know much about mental health, it’s quite hard to ‘get’ this exhibition.

I’m so pleased that the patients involved have agreed for their work to be displayed in the Museum of Croydon. I wonder what they get out of it? Perhaps a sale, but also a sense of worth and respect – that people will come and see their work hanging in a museum environment. For me that’s what local museums should be about.

I’d certainly recommend it – it’s a thought-provoking show.

The Museum of Croydon is a gem and is always worth a visit. Their exhibitions are always immaculately turned out and Frames of Mind is no exception. This particular show runs until the end of January, but the main museum space is open permanently, Monday-Saturday. It’s free and it’s housed in the beautiful Clocktower in the centre of town. Just 20 mins on the train from Dulwich.