"Drawn from Structures Living and Dead"

An exhibition in the Lamb Gallery, University of Dundee

Gemma Anderson
Mirna Sarajlic
Lindsay Sekulowicz

18 January - 23 March 2013

‎This exhibition takes its title from D'Arcy Thompson's celebrated book On Growth and Form. D’Arcy was the first Professor of Biology at University College, Dundee and his 1917 publication is one of the great interdisciplinary works of science, showing that mathematics can be used to explain the way that living organisms grow and the forms that they take. D’Arcy was a great visual thinker and much of his work was based on close observation of the specimens in his zoology museum.

The three artists featured in this exhibition work in various media but all of them use drawing as a starting point to provide a detailed understanding of the natural world.

Gemma Anderson is based in Falmouth and is undertaking a PhD on what she calls Isomorphology, looking at shared patterns across different natural forms and the role of the artist in helping scientists to understand these. She has recently been working with mathematicians at Imperial College, London exploring multi-dimensional mathematical shapes.

‎Mirna Sarajlic is based in Dundee and recently completed the Master of Fine Art course at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, for which she created a series of detailed etchings of animals. Some of these are shown here as well as new prints created specially for this exhibition based on specimens in the D’Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum.

Lindsay Sekulowicz is based in London and was artist-in-residence in the D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum during summer 2012 as part of a collaboration with the Barns Graham Charitable Trust and the Royal Scottish Academy. The work shown here is some of the results of her residency, including drawings and sculptural pieces. She has a particular interest in the brain and spent part of her residency working with neuroscientist Dr Chris Connolly at Ninewells Hospital.

This is one of a series of exhibitions inspired by D’Arcy Thompson. Visit the main exhibition page to find out about concurrent displays.