What does Unescorted mean?
Since 2012, Bethlem Gallery has worked in partnership with River House, the medium secure unit at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, to present an annual exhibition called Unescorted at The Maudsley Long Gallery. The latest edition features nine artists: Eddie, Daniel W., Jacob, Jane, Lil Dios, Mark, Mohammed, Paul, and Will. Open to the public, the exhibition closes at the beginning of April.
Curious to find out more and perhaps plan a visit? Bethlem Gallery reflects on the collaboration with its Director, Sophie Leighton, and Josip Lizatovic, Art Coordinator, who works at Bethlem Gallery and River House.
Bethlem Gallery (BG): Many of our readers and visitors may not be familiar with River House or what unescorted means. What can you tell us, Sophie?
Sophie Leighton (SL): The first thing to say is that this kind of collaboration brings with it a unique set of needs for deep partnership working on organisational and individual levels. It is the result of very long-term working, in this case of Josip working with artists over months and years to push and support their art practice.
The mental health sector uses very specific language around secure units in psychiatric hospitals (called ‘forensic services’). Secure units offer care and treatment for people liable to be detained under the mental health act, who often come from prison. River House is the medium secure unit on the Bethlem Royal Hospital Site in South East London, part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
The term ‘unescorted’ in a mental health context often seems a shorthand for how well someone is. If a patient is thought to be a risk to themselves or others, they will only ever leave their ward with a staff ‘escort’. If they are ‘unescorted’ they are well enough to be able to leave the ward without a member of staff accompanying them.
BG: There is a lot to reflect on there. Before we discuss the exhibition and its context more, what can you tell us about The Long Gallery?
SL: Established in 2013 following a grant from the Maudsley Charity, The Maudsley Long Gallery reclaims a previously empty corridor. The space is now open to everyone 8 am – 6 pm daily. You can visit via the Maudsley Hospital main entrance on Denmark Hill. The Long Gallery hosts three shows a year included themed and solo shows, work by young people, community projects and selected touring exhibitions. It is managed and curated by Bethlem Gallery for Maudsley Charity and SLaM.
BG: Thank you, Sophie. Josip, what can you tell us about the artists and artworks included in Unescorted 13?
JL: One of the artists included in this year’s edition of Unescorted is Lil Dios. Lil’s artistic process begins in his sketchbook, where he makes faint pencil entries. For final works, Lil uses fine liners on thick card. They become a kind of pictorial document of a vivid nighttime experience shaped by the events and emotions of his daily life. Lil describes his experiences as lacking a predetermined subject matter and often appearing fragmented. Through drawing, Lil creates the opportunity to think through his dreams and seek understanding and deeper meaning. As he works, the act of drawing places the vision under his scrutiny. Details resurface, are categorised, and are arranged into sequences that offer a sense of coherence. Through this process, the elusive imagery takes on a new structure.
BG: If our readers would like to to see more of the works included in the display but can’t make it to the Long Gallery, where can they go?
JL: In collaboration with the artists at River House, a work by each artist from Unescorted #13 is available to view on the Bethlem Gallery website.
BG: Thank you, Josip. So, Sophie, why is the collaboration with River House important to you and Bethlem Gallery?
SL: The team at Bethlem Gallery are experts in art and culture, and partnerships are vital in our work. The way that staff and service users use art in River House as a means of agency and expression is given a new level of significance within the context of Bethlem Gallery. By providing artists in River House with external opportunities to develop, create and show their work, we strive to enrich their professional development, their recovery process and public understanding of mental health through the lens of art.
In some respects, the artworks here are themselves the ‘unescorted’, by being selected for our annual exhibition in a public space.
Unescorted #13 is curated by Josip Lizatovic and Bethlem Gallery curator Karim Sultan.
Read more about forensic treatment here.
For a serious and deep dive, listen to Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshead’s Reith Lecture series 2024:
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