With a background in both science and art – including a brief but formative spell worked in the Cardiothoracic Unit at the Royal Infirmary in the late eighties – I created this photo-lithograph of hospital ‘blues’ in the early 2000s when reflecting on the expectations we have of the individuals who wear them.

An individual dressed in hospital blues – also known as scrubs – could be perceived as someone to fear or someone to revere, perhaps both. Putting your life in the hands of healthcare professionals can feel like a leap of faith. The people who wear these uniforms do jobs that are both physically and mentally demanding. They have their own fears, woes and joys along with, generally, a desire to do the best they can for the people they care for, often in testing circumstances.

The individual wearing the uniform in my ‘Blues’ print is erased so all we can see is the outfit. It is intended to be ambiguous and enigmatic, leaving space for the viewer to create their own stories about what this person might be doing, thinking or feeling.

In light of the recent re-purposing of the hospital building this work might now also echo the sense of absence created when medical personnel departed the wards and theatres of Lauriston Place years ago, leaving behind a carapace that invites new narratives.