TOUCH BASE, 2023
Jesmonite AC730 & Steel
400 × 80 x 140 cm
Permanent Sculptural Installation
National Cycle Network Route 7, Dumfries
Commission for Sustrans: Disability History Month
Hugh Blair of Borgue (1708–1765) is considered the first documented autistic person in Scotland. His life was recorded entirely through the medical model of disability. The project aimed to reframe both Blair and autism from a contemporary, first-hand perspective.
The form & material take direct influence from Blair’s special interest in dry stone walls. Objects chosen by members of the wider Scottish autistic community are cast onto its surface, with visual and tactile elements acting as alternative forms of engagement.
