Boyle Family Exh. 1963-

Mark Boyle first began the series of sculptures representing  areas of the Earth's surface in 1964, with his companion and artistic collaborator Joan Hills; 'This was the start of a project 'Journey to the Surface of the Earth' begun in 1969 to duplicate one thousand randomly selected parts of the earth's surface. Darts were thrown at a map to pinpoint proposed sites, a T-square was then thrown to mark the precise section to be duplicated... a plastic substance is spread over the ground, allowed to dry and then peeled away, carrying with it the imprint of the ground together with the surface debris. A fibreglass cast is made which is then painted to provide an exact duplicate of the original.' (Peter J. M. McEwan, Dictionary of Scottish Art and Architecture, 1994, , p.86) From 1970 the fibreglass sculptures have been internationally exhibited and held a central position at the Venice Biennale in 1978.