Christine Borland

To Be Set & Sown in the Garden

Public Sculpture Commission, University of Glasgow, October 2002
10 Hardwood Benches, Ceramic Headrests, Planting, Lights & Text

The idea had its basis in a book about the history of the Botany Department in Glasgow University, written by a former Professor of Botany, A.D. Boney. In his introduction, he briefly describes a garden, which had its origins in the very earliest days of Glasgow University. Knowledge of the garden is based on a list of plants drawn up by a Rev. Mark Jameson. He was a student who served as Rector's Deputy of the University in 1555 before moving on to minister in Glasgow Cathedral, the two being closely interrelated in the 16th Century. The list is written, in his own hand, on the back inside cover of the pocket version of an Illustrated Herbal Leonhart Fuchs Significant Notes on the History of Plants, 1549  which is lodged in the Department of Special Collections in the University Library. This book is the earliest work on plants which can properly be called 'scientific' and subsequently influenced the development of Medicine and Botany in the years of the Renaissance. The notes reveal Jameson's plans to plant a Physic Garden, believed to be the first recorded in Scotland. It is not known whether he ever actually planted it, if so the most likely place would have been the grounds of his official residence on the north side of the Cathedral which are described as walled and sheltered. This was demolished in 1583 and the first 'official' Physic Garden of the University is not recorded until the early 18th Century. Surprisingly, most of the plants he listed under the heading "to be sett & sawin in ye garding" were believed at the time to have some relation to gynecology and a large percentage: including, birthwort, dropwort, marigold, winter savory, wild parsnip, forking larkspur, juniper, penny-royal, hogs - fennel and asplenium - were considered to be ecbolics ie they had the properties to induce spontaneous abortion. We can only speculate why he would have this interest - did his involvement in the local hospitals where he was a benefactor draw his attention to a need? To quote Proffessor Boney: -

"This raises the question whether Jameson was an abortionist......the mechanics of childbith were little different in the sixteenth century to the present day. Perhaps the judicious useage of ecbolic simples may have been effective if excessive delays occurred in the onset of birth.....This is speculation , but Jameson's notes give a unique insight into some forms of medical practice in late medieval times." It is worth noting also that Medicine was not taught in Glasgow University until the 17th Century : so however you look at it, in terms of medicine or botany, Jameson was way ahead of his times.

The site of the sculpture is now lit and well used at night, the library being open until 11pm. The lights incorporate an abbreviated version of the above text, which tell the story for anyone who is interested. Mark Jameson's herb & and flower beds have become literally that, a series of low benches to sit and lie on, laid out like beds in a Medieval garden. Medieval gardens, even those which were purely functional, were a rare refuge from the chaos and brutality of the times.

The scale of each bench is roughly that of a narrow single bed and each has a head-rest whose shape is based on the simple blocks used in the Anatomy Department dissection theater as 'pillows' to support the head of the corpse. Although these objects have a practical function, I find their use to be a particularly touching and humane gesture. These have been hand-made in white ceramic engraved with my adaptation of the original illustration of each plant from the Fuchs mediaeval herbal, as consulted by Jameson. The reference to the dissection room, records the key role of the study of anatomy in our understanding of ourselves today, from the inside out. I hope the work also dignifies the human subjects of the study of Anatomy through the centuries and marks remembrance both of them and the lives which may have been lost through practical applications of Rev. Mark Jameson's herbs - unfortunately the 'success' of the remedies would often have meant varying degrees of actually poisoning women in the process.

Ecbolic Garden (Lisson Gallery 2001) was made as a way of working through ideas related to the commission. I attempted to find all of the ecbolic plants mentioned by Jameson, most of which grow readily as weeds on quieter roadside verges in Glasgow. Using an archaic technique employed in 19th Century Spirit Collections which are specimens preserved in alchol and presented in glass jars (of which the Zoology Museum in the University has an extensive example) Each of my plant specimens was initially placed in a bleaching solution, draining the colour from the leaves to reveal the "skeleton" then preserved and presented in hand blown glass vessels in an alcohol solution, (alcohol being the 'spirit' of spirit collection)

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