Work of art

He is justifying the company's £800,000 outlay on artwork at its New Frontiers Science Park in Harlow. He is not alone. More and more organisations are getting fired up by workplace art, and are using it to portray their corporate culture, inspire the workforce and in some cases to woo visiting clients.

'Art in the workplace is there to keep employees happy and motivated and to provide an image for management, suppliers and clients,' argues Peter Harris, chairman of International Art Consultants which has advised numerous organisations, such as JP Morgan Investment Management and Mercedes, on the use of art in offices and other facilities. Harris' firm also runs the annual Art in the Workplace Awards.

Artwork is no longer viewed as something strictly for the boardroom. According to Harris, initiatives such as the Art Council's Percent for Art Scheme have contributed to a new attitude towards art. Under the scheme, followed by many local councils across the UK, one per cent of the cost of a new building is invested in art for the workplace.

Help for businesses which want to invest in artwork but do not know where to start is on hand. Consultants such as Harris who specialise in workplace art supply businesses with paintings, photography, prints and sculptures as well as help them plan the whole process.

The approach to funding, meanwhile, varies widely between organisations. 'Public sector bodies such as hospitals and local councils often use money raised through charity or from generous donations, while multinational companies can often incorporate the cost into budgets,' says Harris. But whatever the budget, Harris recommends that the underlying principle is always the same: select the image you want to portray, plan how the artwork will be integrated into the building and set a budget. And for those companies unwilling to buy artwork outright there is always the option to rent it, allowing the pieces to be changed when the contract ends. The majority of Harris' clients opt for a mix of renting and purchasing, of the rest, most purchase and some just rent.

SmithKline Beecham spent its £800,000 art budget investing in the purchase of paintings, sculptures and tapestry for the New Frontiers Science Park site three years ago. The majority of the budget was spent on a monumental 60m2 curved stained-glass sculptured screen by Graham Jones which is placed at the main entrance to Science Park One, the first of two main buildings on the site.

The company also rents around 30 paintings from International Art Consultants for a fee that is taken from a yearly art budget.

The two main buildings are home to the 3,000 chemists, biologists and staff who work on site at the science park, and the artwork in each building includes items that are themed around the type of work they do. Director Richard Collis, a self-confessed art lover, supervises the company artwork policy, liaising with its art consultants each year to discuss future directions.

'Our art is for our employees, not the customers,' says Collis, who also stresses the importance of listening to what employees want. To satisfy this requirement, he has enrolled a chemist who asks staff for their opinions.

Science Park One, site of the company's research staff, features abstract art, largely produced by young European Artists. 'The art counteracts the science,' says Collis. 'It creates interest and controversy – any reaction is good.'

The second building, Pharm Tech, home of SmithKline's development staff, contains more figurative artwork representing the work that goes on in the labs. Pictures in the building's foyer are based on the chemical elements that make up some of the company's products. Other pieces represent an agar plate, human genes and slides from a microscope.

The building's main meeting and presentation room contains an impressive wall-mounted piece by Louise Soloway, showing lab technicians at work (main picture). It contains a reference to the building and Soloway created the piece after spending time in the labs.

'We talked to our employees and they didn't want this site to be abstract, they wanted it to reflect health and purity,' says Collis. The artwork in both buildings was commissioned at the design stage. With the new science park costing £260 million, it wasn't difficult for the board to agree to a spend of £800,000 on art says Collis.

At the Milton Keynes General NHS Trust local businesses and benefactors have funded an impressive collection which comprises sculpture located in the grounds of the hospital, and paintings spread throughout the wards and corridors.

Margaret Hales, chair of Milton Keynes General NHS Trust says the hospital collection began when a local resident donated a number of sculptures two-and-a-half years ago.

'These remained relatively 'unused' until one of our surgeons approached me about them, and we decided to form a committee to resurrect the artwork,' she says.

The project was the result of combined effort: the committee raised £40,000; a community grant paid for signage in words and brail; funds were donated by businesses and the local newspaper; the plinths were built free of charge by a local joiner; and the sculptures were transported free by a local haulage firm.

'We have had people claiming it is disgusting that we have spent money on artwork, until we explain we have not spent patient care money on it,' says Hales.

The artwork at the hospital does not follow one theme she says, but it does provoke a reaction. 'One particular sculpture of a pilgrim (left), a very spiritual man with a blanket, has been helpful to those who have lost a loved one,' she says.

The hospital also has a mother and baby sculpture, paintings of chefs and food outside the restaurant, and a collection of works by local artists which are for sale. 'The art stimulates feelings and if it gets people to express their emotions then that is all part of the healing process,' says Hales.