The Dark Self/Respondences

Sleep Disorders Centre, Guy’s Hospital
Permanent Collection
2019

<strong>Golden Slumbers 6</strong>, Susan Aldworth, monoprint, 56 x 76 cms, 2017. Photograph by Peter Abrahams.

Susan Aldworth was commissioned by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity to make a series of artworks as part of an integrated art scheme to enhance the environment at the Sleep Disorders Centre (SDC) at Guy’s Hospital. As artist in residence at the SDC she developed a project called The Dark Self, initially working at the Centre and local GP surgeries capturing patients’ experiences of sleep. Aldworth created a new collection of artworks for the Centre that responds to and are a meditation on sleep.

I worked with master printer Nigel Oxley on this commission to make a body of work – Respondences: love letters to Victor – in response to Victor Pasmore’s Correspondences suite. Nigel and I have worked together many times before, but what was unique was that Nigel had worked on the original Correspondences suite with Pasmore at White Ink print studio in London in 1974-6. This happenstance created a very special dialogue between the two suites.

<strong>Respondences 8</strong>, Susan Aldworth, intaglio print, 37×37 cms, 2019 (pictured right). Made in response to Victor Pasmore prints (<i>Points of Contact No: 34</i> pictured left). Photograph by Jim Stephenson at Guy’s Hospital. <strong>Respondences 9</strong>, intaglio print, Susan Aldworth, 2019. Made in response to Victor Pasmore’s suite Correspondences. Photograph by Jim Stephenson at Guy’s Hospital. <strong>An Open Eye</strong>, pillowcase embroidered by health worker Esmeralda Vasquez as part of the participation between artist, patients and staff for the Sleep Disorders Centre commission. Photograph by Jim Stephenson at Guy’s Hospital 2017. <strong>Golden Slumbers 6</strong>, Susan Aldworth, monoprint, 56 x 76 cms, 2017. Photograph by Jim Stephenson at Guy’s Hospital.

» Respondences, a collaboration by Susan Aldworth and Nigel Oxley by Anik Lee

» Respondences – A suite of prints for a Sleep Clinic