Bobby Baker  

Bobby began her diary drawings in 1997 when she became a patient at a day centre. They were originally private but gradually became a useful way for her to communicate complex thoughts and emotions that are difficult to articulate in words to her family, friends and professionals.

The drawings cover experiences of day hospitals, acute psychiatric wards, ‘crisis’ houses, ‘crisis’ teams and a variety of treatments.

Over the years they chart the ups and downs of recovery, family life, work as an artist, breast cancer and just how funny all this harrowing stuff can be at times.

Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me by Bobby Baker was published by Profile books in May 2010. It contains all 158 images and captions from the exhibition, plus essays by Bobby Baker, Dora Whittuck and Marina Warner.
ISBN 978 1 84668 374 9