Author(s): Polly Borland

PHOTOGRAPHY SMALL PRESS | SMALL PRESS

Tracing two distinct, however interconnected bodies of work, the book is an intensely intimate meditation on various states of love, desire and identity. The initial inspiration for YOU arose when Borland relocated from London to Hollywood, with its promises of glamour and its plasticised brand of beauty. The impetus for the latter part of the series came after viewing Museum Victoria’s extensive collection of medical equipment, restraints, clothing and artefacts from Australian psychiatric institutions. YOU continues Borland’s exploration of the interface between anthropomorphic soft sculpture, the human form and the photographic image. In doing so, it puts Borland’s practice in an increasingly challenging, confronting and poignantly beautiful light. The book features a text by celebrated Australian artist Tony Clark.