DESCRIPTION:
On the 13th and 14th January artist Alban Low spent two days drawing on the Simulated Mental Health Ward at Kingston University and St George's University London where he is artist-in-residence.

Along with Psychotherapist Harvey Wells they recorded the conversations and dialogue between patient and nurse. They planned to build upon their successful exhibition of the previous year 'Eternal Art of the Simulated Mind' (July 2013) by using the experience as way to explore both Mental Health issues, Mental Health nursing and how to engage the wider public.

The two days are documented here,
Day 1 - http://artofjazz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/theatre-of-dark-dreams-simulated-mental.html
Day 2 - http://artofjazz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-open-window-simulated-mental-health.html

The project in 2014 has broadened its goals from a documentary stance to that of exploration and expression. With this in mind they have collaborated with poet Robin Vaughan-Williams who received the transcripts of the ward dialogue. He has created two poems and here is the first inspired the 'patient' Sandra.

What's real is home

Home is where she spreads things
butter, sheets, hair,
words that grow longer every night
snake through her veins and onto the floor
ruining the carpet.
Words that trickle through the letterbox
leaving the grass long wondering
has anybody seen her
what is that smell rising from the drains?
The fox with a limp sits outside her gate
absolutely still
to hide its disability.
The neighbours feed her scraps of kitchen pity
take notes, monitor her movement.
A piece of the wild comes to them
in their gardens the fences are broken.

Robin's website is - http://www.zeroquality.net/zqblog/