Pencil Drawing of an Old Man
Chris Newell
I found drawing the old man quite relaxing, despite being out of practice with the graphite. He is supposed to symbolize the institutionalization and depersonalization that patients feel when in hospital. From my perspective, he also reflects how I often view patients – often in a very impersonal way. This is symbolized by his nakedness, the black band through his eyes and the hospital i.d. wrist-band.
Whole Person Care
I find the use of space in this picture to be extremely provocative. The concept of institutionalization is reflected very well by the fact that the drawing only occupies a small amount of the page, as though the “Old Man” in question was being boxed into a mindset predetermined by whatever ailments that brought him to hospital. The use of pencil and no other media shows the reductionist view of how doctors dehumanize their patients in order to keep a degree of emotional detachment from what can be a very taxing career. Overall, I feel the arts strength lies in it’s simplicity; Newell portrays a somewhat sinister image of just how small a patient can be made to feel if they are not treated with the respect their individual identities deserve.
The empty space surrounding the man captures his isolation very well. It is troubling that although he may come into contact with doctors and healthcare workers every day, nothing is done to treat the loneliness he feels in hospital. The only thing censored in the picture is his identity, while the shell of his body is scrutinized by the doctor. His stance and nudity excellently portray the vulnerability he must feel. I see the small box surrounding him as an illustration of the entrapment felt in a hospital setting – being bound to a hospital bed by illness, freed only by the doctors that can’t remember your name.