House of Bread: Inside Bethlem Hospital
In this solo show, artist-photographer Mark Neville documents the everyday life of Bethlem Royal Hospital, the oldest residential psychiatric treatment facility in the UK, during this 70th anniversary year of the NHS. Bethlem Museum of the Mind commissioned this project to explore the complex nature of mental illness, treatment and recovery.
“It's not forever... It's my home for the meantime" - Anon
Mark Neville works at the intersection of art and documentary, investigating the social function of photography. He makes lens-based works which have been realised and disseminated in a large array of contexts, as both still and moving image pieces, slideshows, films, and giveaway books. His work has consistently looked to subvert the traditional role of social documentary practice, seeking to find new ways to empower the subject over the author.
Image: Community Centre, Bethlem Royal Hospital 2018