James Aldridge

Twilight, 2004

Acrylic on canvas, hardboard, vinyl and perspex
West Wing, St Bartholomew’s Hospital

James Aldridge’s paintings explore notions of natural beauty inspired by images taken from nature books, bird-watching guides and fabric prints. At Barts, Aldridge has created a series of painted screens that frame the windows of the second floor waiting room. In creating this work, he has drawn together influences from ancient Roman frescoes and nineteenth century French wallpaper. He has also chosen to depict ‘twilight’ because, as he explains: “It is a magical, almost unreal time. I wanted the play of light on the screens to allow the landscape to appear to change rather than being fixed at a certain point. I hope the layers within the work will provide viewers with a visual journey and space for contemplation.”

Aldridge was born in Kent in 1971 and educated at The Royal College of Art and Manchester University.

The award winning Barts Heath Breast Care Centre is considered a pioneering example of public art commissioning in a healthcare setting. A series of site specific commissions from leading artists are integrated with the architecture, to produce moments of contemplation; creating spaces that positively encourage distraction and discussion.

The art programme was curated for Vital Arts by Theresa Bergne of Field Art Projects, and took as its starting point the feedback that visitors would rather be ‘anywhere, but here.’ To this end, the expression of landscape explored by all the art installed offers an element of ‘transportation,’ offering viewers the opportunity to think about being ‘somewhere else,’ if only in mind.