Art and the Elderly
As an abstract artist and interior designer,
I am often asked what kind of art different groups of clients enjoy.
The Elderly are my FAVORITE group to paint for.
I am often doing lobbies and waiting areas for healthcare that are based on standards
that we have created in their healthcare system.
In doing so, we have very large walls that are uncluttered and perfect for displaying art.
The furniture is usually a mix of wood or metal frames
with a mix of patterned and solid color fabrics.
The fabrics are interesting (of course, we designed it that way!)
but the environment is not one that uses bold strokes in furniture design or textiles.
We make sure that the standard furniture used is comfortable and respective of the
use and population.
A surgical waiting area for families is one of long arduous waits with lots of stress.
Food and drink is typically provided for waiting families.
So these fabrics are typically Crypton (a relatively new and extremely innovative evolving family
of textiles that is impervious to soil and liquids damaging or staining it)
Crypton can look somewhat flat in weave, due to its construction and fiber structure.
It has gotten better with pattern groups recently introduced by some of the major textile companies.
But the flatness of weave can make furniture appear somewhat homogeneous in the space.
ART becomes more and more important for focal points and distraction.
I have dealt with thousands of user groups and artists to come up with the correct blend of features to
make ART perform its duty here.
We have done Macro flowers - showing the details of beautiful flowers blown up to something our
eyes never see. We have done them in light boxes, illuminated from behind as a giant lens onto these
details.
Very effective.
Very beautiful.
And they receive rave reviews from the elderly.
They understand them, and they like the vivid colors and close up view.
In introducing abstract art to the end user focus groups
the whole mood changes!
The unexpected WOWs and WE LOVE THIS
comments blow me away.
As an artist and interior designer, I know that I am truly on to something special.
Is it the open ness to interpretation, or the bold images, or even the combination of colors
that draw them in?
Or is it the understanding in Abstract ART that there is something beyond what is painted.
That it means more somehow.
I am willing to guess that it is the later.
The elderly patient just gets it.
Their eyesight may be failing.
Their distinction of images may blurr at times.
And stress is a tough one on them.
But Abstract ART takes them far away.
Perhaps to something they remember from a vivid past.
Or a museum trip with family.
Or maybe it is simpler.
Maybe it helps them remember color, shape, form, and images that
could be from any part of their lives.
Maybe it is a personal resonator of brain waves of happiness in their past.
That whole Dopamine thing again.
Maybe it is love and joy and memories that cannot even be expressed.
