Christine Borland - Preserves

Christine Borland has an incredible ability to turn that which should be grotesque into something quite elegant. Trained at Glasgow School of Art along with the likes of Douglas Gordon, she was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1997. Her work successfully presents a probing exploration of anatomy, issues of life and death and ultimately the ambiguous relationship between art and science.

From sparkling hand-blown glass bronchia to a dusty shadow of the spine, human identity resounds from the artworks. At times the viewer feels as though they should be repulsed, but at each juncture the artist entices our quizzical eyes and shows us a new way of beholding our own bodies.

Preserves brings together a collection of existing pieces with new work, creating an evolution of her premier themes. Borland utilises almost every medium in her scrutiny of the human being, past and present, to create a striking, thought provoking visual combination. [Gabriella Griffith]