Retired Hornsey therapist Rick Morrison exhibits 'Healing' sculptures

Richard Morrison hopes the exhibition at The Original Gallery in Hornsey Library will be "part of the conversation and general acceptance around mental illness," with donations and sales going to three mental health charities; Mind in Haringey, Open Door and the Samaritans.

Local MP Catherine West who is a patron of Mind In Haringey attended the launch of HEALING - Sculptures Inspired by Psychotherapy, which brings together 40 sculptures, made over the past 20 years.

One of 40 sculptures by retired GP and therapist Rick Morrison on show at Hornsey Library (Image: Courtesy of Rick Morrison)

There are also some from the 1980s when the Hornsey resident took several years out to go to art school. He says the exhibition "weaves together the threads" of his life; of having psychotherapy, his work as a therapist, and his artistic practice.

"They are mostly figurative or portrait and reflect my lifelong interest in the workings of the human mind and body, and how we all get through life, with its many ups and downs, with or without therapy," he said.

Healing exhibition at Crouch End's The Original Gallery (Image: David Winskill)

"The pieces capture moments in my own development as well as some of my experiences as a therapist. They lay out a path from despair to healing and hope, a path which is never a straight line but always full of twists and turns."

Morrison grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb, attending UCS in Hampstead. While working as a GP at Highgate Group Practice, he took art classes at Hampstead Garden Suburb Insititute on his afternoons off.

"That's how it started, but I grew up imbued with art; my grandfathers were both painters, and my mother taught history of art. I was always making things."

After studying at Camden Arts Centre, and John Cass in his 30s, he returned to medicine because he was starting a family and had to earn a living. He then trained as a psychotherapist, working at Spectrum Therapy in Finsbury Park, which left little time for art.

"It was always there, I kept it alive by sketching with friends, but it was only when I retired through illness that I realised I wanted to get back to it. It took a few years to get my strength back, but I have enjoyed it ever since."

Healing by Rick Morrison (Image: David Winskill)

His sculptures emerge "quite spontaneously" and acknowledge the struggles we all have to face at times, but also celebrate our capacity to work through difficulties with help and support.

"Working as a GP or therapist you are focusing on people to find out what they need. It's not very different from the way you focus on someone as an artist."

He would love his work to be public sculptures, to bring mental health "out of the shadows" and make the therapeutic process accessible.

"I would like people to be talking about mental health, and to be part of those conversations. What's tragic is that mental health services have always been the Cinderella service, but it's never been so bad as it is now. We see the consequences of that  - a third of calls to Police are for mental health - and a lot falls to the charities to provide mental health first aid."

One of 40 sculptures on show at Hornsey Library until July 4. (Image: Courtesy of Rick Morrison)

Rick Morrison's HEALING - Sculptures Inspired by Psychotherapy runs at The Original Gallery, Hornsey Library, in Crouch End until July 4.