Christine Borland’s four-year research project with Deveron Arts explores the history of Huntly’s thriving linen industry. Taking flax as a starting point, Borland weaves connections across communities, geographies and histories. Susan Mansfield meets the artist to find out more.
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Borland’s engagement with flax began on a residency with socially engaged arts organisation Deveron Projects in the Aberdeenshire town of Huntly in early 2019. Noticing similarities to her hometown of Darvel in Ayrshire, she realised that Huntly had been a flax-growing town in the 18th century, and set out to investigate that history by learning to grow, harvest, spin and weave flax.
