Too dark for a Hopkins waiting room? A viral art debate unfolds.

Patients visiting a clinic at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center have been met with images of unsmiling, fractured men and women in distorted and dark shadows on display in the waiting room.

At first glance, the series of 14 paintings might appear morose, even melancholic. But upon closer examination and with context, they might do more: prompt an introspective moment. At the very least, they have got people talking.

A video of the installation recently made its way onto Reddit, sparking a lengthy discussion over the unconventionality of the art’s placement in the clinic, which deals with comorbidities related to substance abuse disorders and HIV, and the contrast between its intention and impact. Some seemed shocked by the art, describing it as nightmarish.

Art in hospitals and medical buildings is not new, certainly not in Baltimore. One exhibit of portraits aims to tell the stories of Baltimoreans who died from addiction. Other hospital systems in the U.S. — including NYC Health + Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic — have built art collections with thousands of works displayed across their medical facilities. Portraits and landscapes usually function to calm visitors, but in rarer instances, administrators and artists put forward art that attempts to forge dialogue and deeper contemplation.

Liz Vandendriessche, a spokeswoman for Johns Hopkins, said the installation is part of an Art for Hope Exhibit, an initiative that aims to humanize medicine.

This particular exhibit, a temporary display that was installed in December, focuses on “eliminating the stigma of substance use disorder,” Vandrendriessche said. The art is scheduled to come down by the end of August.

The artist, William Stoehr, created the art from his personal experience of losing his sister Julie to an opioid overdose. The portraits are meant to depict the faces of victims, witnesses and survivors affected by substance use, Vandendriessche explained.

Stoehr, reached Tuesday, said the paintings aren’t meant to shock people. Nor were they meant to comfort.

“I created it because I believe reducing stigma can save lives,” he said. “They were created to start conversations that are often avoided.”

The art’s placement in the Bayview waiting room was also intentional. Hospitals and clinics, Stoehr said, are more than a place where people go to physically heal. They’re also a space where people confront shame, fear, grief and hope while having difficult conversations, he noted.

Some who’ve seen the installation in Baltimore find it unsettling.

One person who said they are a patient at the clinic said they were “baffled” over the decision to feature the paintings since they first appeared about nine months ago.

“We’re all there managing a set of illnesses that have defined our lives in some way or another and the waiting room is a series of shockingly dark paintings and sad messages surrounding you from every wall after you’ve charged your last visit’s copay and sit there waiting to see your doctor,” they wrote. The person didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Another woman said she initially thought of the portraits as “nightmares.” After reading a plaque about their meanings, she said she grew to love the paintings and what they represent.

In the same thread, many others commented on the paintings’ beauty and power, but felt that the waiting room was not a good venue.

“As someone who loves this kind of art, darker explorations of addiction and mental health, this is not the place I want to be reminded of the struggle,” one commenter said.

When his work has been on view in other medical settings and locations, Stoehr said individuals have drawn inspiration from the art, or even a push to seek help or support for someone they loved.

“Out of context, I understand why it can feel unsettling. Not everyone will like the work, and that’s okay,” he said. “But there was a thoughtful reason Johns Hopkins chose to install it. If people are talking about stigma today, then the exhibition is doing exactly what it was designed to do: normalize the conversation.”