Scots’ Dike, The Debatable Lands, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland / England

On 31st January 2020 I marked what was Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s last day in the European Union, by taking a self-portrait stretching across the border. This has become a yearly event and in the past two years has been documented by the photographer Alan Dimmick.

Scots’ Dike is a three and a half mile long, low, interrupted earth ditch, constructed by the Scots and English in 1552 to mark the division of the Debatable Lands and to define a section of the border between Scotland and England. It is thought to be the oldest national land boundary in Europe.

This photograph, which was taken in 2023, is part of the 'out-takes' from the ongoing project 'Scotland at my toes, England at the tips of my fingers' and includes my twin daughters, aged 9 at the time.

It was made specifically for the exhibition Mother Curator. Curated by 4th year Fine Art student Emma Scarlett, the exhibition brought together existing and new work by GSA staff and students who are mothers.

Mother Curator
10th – 31st January 2026
Reid Gallery, The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland

This exhibition, curated by 4th year Fine Art student Emma Scarlett, brings together existing and new work by GSA staff and students who are mothers. Conversations around gender roles and caregiving have been ongoing for generations, but the significance of motherhood is still frequently undervalued. The exhibition aims to transform this narrative by celebrating motherhood in its fullness, its challenges, its strengths and its profound creativity. By sharing lived experiences through their work, Mother Curator hopes to create space for new perspectives.

Artists are Chantal Balmer, Sara Barker, Kate Davis, Louise Donnelly, Fiona Glen, Emma Keogh, Lorna Macintyre, Lindsey McAulay, Shauna McMullan, Kim McNeil, Rosie Morris, Maya El Nahal, Thomai Pnevmonidou, Lesley Punton, Susan Roan, Fiona Robertson, Anna Almqvist Romanus, Emma Scarlett, Annabel Sharp, Niketa Shetty, Bex Šik and Jennifer Wicks, Stephanie Smith (SMITH/STEWART), Felicity Steers and Josie Williams.

• https://gsaexhibitions.co.uk/exhibition/...