Arts for Health MK Director Ben Heyworth

‘Ocean Motion’ 

James Grimditch - Ocean Motion (2019) acrylic on canvas, kindly on loan to the Milton Keynes University Hospital Art Collection, courtesy of the artist.

In the penultimate instalment of our Twenty for Twenty series, we ask our Director Ben Heyworth to select an artwork from the Milton Keynes University Hospital Art Collection.

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

The acrylic painting ‘Ocean Motion‘ (2019) by artist James Grimditch.

When and how did you first see it?

I try to get down to the hospital as often as possible and really enjoy spending time with the Collection. There are many works that stand out for me. Ocean Motion is one of my favourites that we currently have on loan from the artist. I can’t think of anything more appropriate than a painting of the world’s biggest fish on wall of the Eaglestone Restaurant.   

What first interested or attracted you to this artwork?

I think this work makes a big impact both in its subject, composition, colour and position. The deep blues of the sea, the grey and white fish, the scattering of smaller fish and of course the diver, which lends the fish scale and weight. It’s very noticeable in situ, and I think causes a great many users of the restaurant to pause, reflect and, just for a moment, sink into the wet embrace of a far-away ocean.  

Do you remember how seeing this work made you feel?

This work strongly reminds me of the time I learnt to scuba dive off the coast of Thailand in 2004, where there was the smallest of small possibilities that we might encounter a Whale Shark. Well as it turned out, we didn’t, but nevertheless we marvelled at many underwater flora and fauna. It’s always nice to be reminded of an adventure.

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

All the evidence, anecdotal and formal, suggests that having properly curated art displayed in MKUH does far more than just beautify the hospital environment. Seeing art can have a significant and lasting impact on staff, patient and visitors’ overall wellbeing, leading to a better experience of care and better clinical outcomes. We know that art can improve mood, reduce anxiety and provoke curiosity. Even better is when our audiences are actively engaged in creating art – and Arts for Health MK provides a range of opportunities for staff, patients and visitors to get up close and personal with the Collection whilst encouraging them to become creative themselves.



Contributor: Ben Heyworth

Ben Heyworth is the Director of Arts for Health MK, 
Survivorship Network Manager at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, a Trustee at the UK Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, Honorary Lecturer at the University of Manchester & a Trustee at the Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes Music Hub.