Barbara Rae

In 1846, inspired by living life on the edge, Dr John Rae (1813-1893) travelled to the Arctic to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition, and to confirm the existence of the Northwest Passage, the maritime link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Come 2015 Barbara Rae journeyed in the footsteps of her namesake and made a body of evocative work in response to the relationship between people and the frozen landscape. The resulting images are accompanied with insightful texts to take the reader on a journey of discovery from Scotland to the Arctic, and back again.

This publication featuring 130 colour illustrations was produced to accompany the exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; the Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney; and Canada House, London.