Alison Davis
Skyfall by Boyd & Evans

Image: Skyfall (2012) by Boyd & Evans in situ at Milton Keynes University Hospital, kindly on loan to The Collection courtesy of the artists and Flowers Gallery.

In the next instalment of our Twenty for Twenty series, we ask Milton Keynes University Hospital’s former Chair, Alison Davis to select an artwork.

Which work in The Collection have you chosen to talk about?

Skyfall, the oil painting by Boyd & Evans

When and how did you first see it?

I joined MKUH as the new Hospital Chair in February 2021 during the Covid pandemic. I had to wait a few months before I could start to explore the hospital and meet staff and patients. On my first trip to find the restaurant (and cappuccino!), I passed the painting I have chosen and stopped to have a closer look.

What first interested or attracted you to this artwork?

I was drawn to the painting because of the colours and the stillness it seemed to portray. I love water and the sky and I felt the woman who was looking at the view was probably a kindred spirit.

Do you remember how seeing this work made you feel?

It made me feel calm and the light in the painting brought back memories of holidays by the sea and walks along coastlines—my favourite place to be.

In general, what kind of impact do you think seeing art at MKUH has on your experience of being on the hospital site?

It makes the environment seem less clinical and ‘institutional’. It also makes some long corridor walks more interesting, especially trying to imagine the artists behind the pieces of work.


Contributor: Alison Davis
Alison Davis, is the former Chair of Milton Keynes University Hospital, from 2021-2024