Sculptures bring smile to patients

IPSWICH Hospital is today proudly displaying its most adventurous and biggest piece of art work which it hopes will bring a smile to the faces of the 8,000 people who pass through the building each day.

IPSWICH Hospital is today proudly displaying its most adventurous and biggest piece of art work which it hopes will bring a smile to the faces of the 8,000 people who pass through the building each day.

Dancers 2004 by Suffolk artist Paul Richardson, consists of two stylish dancing couples striking a pose with wide grins.

They have been placed in a courtyard on the south side of the hospital, an area surrounded by corridors just off the entrance to the south wards.

Mr Richardson says his inspiration came from watching the bustle of activity through the corridors which reminded him of the movements in dance.

The sculptures, which took over four months to build, are made out of steel which was cut, bent and welded into position piece by piece.

They were finally painted to make them weather proof and together they weigh around one ton.

The sculptures, which were formally unveiled yesterday, were commissioned by The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust Arts for Health Group and totally funded by charitable contributions for artwork in the hospital.

The group aims to enhance patients' experience in the hospital by exhibiting pieces of artwork to raise a smile or make them think. Many pieces already line the corridors but Dancers is the biggest work to date.

n. What do you think of the sculptures? What kinds of artwork would you like to see in the hospital? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters.co.uk