Historically speaking, hospitals had grown out of hostels, where pilgrims, old and sick people were treated. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the art was indispensable factor of the hospitals. Art in hospitals (hospital art) has been recently known and recognized as beneficial method. Authors performed the art in hospitals in the rehabilitation hospital, which was completed by using various colorful masking tape. The composition consisted of 4 artworks for four seasons on the wall of the corridor. Many patients are trained walking with always looking them every day. Art in hospitals may be called as art and health, and it has a power to make patients bring out positive attitude and energy. Its further development would be expected.

Keywords: science and art, art and health, art in hospitals, hospital art, masking tape

In recent history of medicine, there are three well-known supreme physicians.¹ They are Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Sir William Osler and Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara. All of them have showed the common theme concerning science and art. Dr. Hinohara had often explained comparative differences of science vs art in the following: case vs patient, cure vs care, disease vs illness, evidence-based vs narrative-based, and so on.² Consequently, treating patients and family would include not only scientific evidence-based data but also artistic narrative-based personal perspectives.

From historically traditional point of view, hospitals had grown out of hostels. In ancient era, the church took care of the pilgrims and travelers as well as the old and sick people in the hostels and infirmaries.³ As to the hospital environment, beneficial influence of the presence of art has been important. During the Middle Ages in Europe, the art was estimated to be indispensable factor of the hospitals. Although the name of the builder was lost, the name of the artist has been handed down to the present era.⁴ There are several factors behind the historical establishment of the hospitals. They include biological, psychological and social aspects. Current hospitals have been refined for medical treatment from biological perspective. However, when discussing about the hospital, several studies from psychological and social aspects are also required.

When treating patients, it is necessary to consider from the perspective of bio-psycho-social and to have a holistic medical concept. Art therapy was started in the 1940s by New York pioneering educator Margaret Naumburg.⁵ With her successive activities, voluntary art production has been promoted as a treatment and diagnosis tool for modern mental health patients.⁶ On the other hand, in Japan, there are some medical societies of art therapy. One is the Japanese Society of Psychopathology of Expression and Art Therapy, which was established in 1969.⁷ The association of Arts Project was officially initiated in 2004, in which the purpose was to create a better hospital environment through art by medical staffs, patients, and artists.⁸ The definition of art in hospitals (hospital art) has been as follows: it is the activity in medical and welfare facilities where volunteers, patients, staff members create, exhibit, and present pictures, music, and so on. It also means the art itself. By making the facility a comfortable space, it is possible to provide mental care for the patient.

The authors and colleagues have been continuing activities related to art therapy in medical practice and research.⁹ Among them, there were music therapy session in a variety of situations for elderly people.^10,11 Furthermore, there was an impressive presentation in collaboration among medicine, art, picture and artwork. It was Parallel/Crossing Exhibition 2 (2017), which was held in a gallery of the Tokushima Prefectural Museum of Art, in collaboration with contemporary artists and people with some intellectual disabilities.¹² From this excellent inspiration, we have come to know the possibility of collaboration of artists and patients and practical use of masking tape for artwork. We were impressed with the totally free concept for using the tapes, such as sticking, hanging, wrapping, and so on.

We happened to find a useful material in the previous exhibition, which can be suitable for art in hospitals. The masking tape was originally used for curing tape in the industrial working place.¹³ after that, it has developed to show various pattern and colors, and to be used for decoration, wrapping, craft making for many purposes (Figure 1). There are many kinds of masking tapes, and people can have a happy time for making the artworks using this.

Figure 1 Various kinds of masking tapes for art in hospitals.

At that time, the authors were required to perform art in hospitals on the walls of corridors and stairs at Tokushima University Hospital. Therefore, we have decided to use masking tape.¹⁴ The content was designed so that many Japanese would feel calm and easy to accept. We have included a concept of three factors, which were healing, comfort, and a way finding system.¹⁵ The artwork showed a device that allows people to descend the stairway, just as a pilgrim descends the stairway together, showing a way finding system.^14,16

Subsequently, we received a similar request from Komatsushima Hospital. Komatsushima city is adjacent to Tokushima city, and we proceeded with the project. This hospital is specializing in rehabilitation of orthopedic department, and many patients carry out walking training with physiotherapists (PTs)every day in a corridor more than 100m. Therefore, the artwork in the corridor is especially important. The purpose of this work was to provide patients to heal the heart and encourage for treatment. Actually, we made a sketch beforehand at our art study group, visited the hospital several times with university student volunteers and completed the artwork (Figure 2). There are four seasons in Japan, and then everyone can feel easy for the art with four seasons. As the image color, the basic colors are pink in the spring with cherry blossoms, green in the summer with growing flowers, yellow in the fall and white in the winter. Furthermore, some vitamin colors were added to the theme according to the four seasons (Figure 2). It is certainly that this work expresses the landscape, but we expect that people would also feel time-scape, air-scape, and soundscape when appreciating these artworks.

Figure 2 The artworks of four seasons in the corridor wall of art in hospitals;
2A spring: basal color is pink with cherry blossom; 2B summer: basal color is green with flower and leaves; 2C autumn: basal color is yellow with autumn leaves; 2D winter: basal color is white with snowman; (Each artwork is 170 cm x 110 cm in large).

As mentioned above, art in hospitals (hospital art) has been an attempt to utilize the power of art to transform the medical environment such as a hospital into a comfortable and healing space.^4,6 Such art activities performed in the medical and welfare field are also called "Art and Health".¹⁷ In general, colors, shapes, and sounds can work on the human senses to bring out a positive attitude to each person. The artistic activities conducted in hospitals are expanding not only in art but also in design, music, performance, and other creative fields. Hospital art is also included in rehabilitation of patients by occupational therapists and support activities in daily life.The humanistic hospital is an ideal symbol, which can be operated as one of the social concerns.¹⁷

Authors would like to express our gratitude all related staffs for understanding and cooperation..

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