A sketch of the universe

A unique collection of zoological specimens has provided the inspiration behind the current show at the Cooper Gallery, DJCAD. Entitled 'A Sketch of the Universe', the work is the culmination of a residency in the Exhibitions Department by artist Sally Osborn.

The zoological specimens in question are part of an original zoology collection built up by Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson (1860-1948), a Professor of Biology at the University for over thirty years. The D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson zoological collection is vast and varied and includes specimens from animal, insect and bird kingdoms.

D'Arcy Thompson was a biologist, mathematician and Latin and Greek scholar, who, amongst other projects, translated Aristotle’s 'History of Animals'. His seminal work, the publication 'On Growth and Form' (1917), in which he explored morphology and linked the growth of living organisms directly to mathematical theory, has continued to influence academics and artists alike, including Pop Artist Richard Hamilton and influential 20th century architect Le Corbusier.

Sally Osborn lives and works in Glasgow. She graduated from the MFA course at Glasgow School of Art in 2003 and her work has been shown widely in Basel, Berlin and Glasgow. She has previously worked with a diverse range of individuals and institutions such as Glasgow Mounted Police and the wildlife rangers in Grizedale Forest, Cumbria.

'A Sketch of the Universe’ runs until 5 March.

right: All images are 'Untitled', Sally Osborn, 2003.