Gold Leith & Robot Medicine
Artist Statement:
Working on these murals involved hours and hours of lying on the ground. In November in Scotland this was pretty challenging as the weather became colder and wetter. As I started to feel the effects of the cold ground sucking all the warmth out of my body, it made me really think about what it must be like to have no choice but to sleep outside, with no warm home to go to or even the prospect of a hot drink or meal to warm you up. It was at this point that I decided I would make prints of my two Leith Walk murals and sell them to raise money for charities that support rough sleepers and homeless people through the winter months (and all year round). As the murals have proven to be quite popular, I hope this will raise a significant amount of money for these Charities.
100% of profits from the sale of these two print editions will be split between:
• Rock Trust
• Crisis UK Gold Leith Limited edition fine art Giclee print in two sizes: A3 & "Life Size" (~A1). 100% of profit from print sales for these limited editions goes to Rock Trust & Crisis UK. • Printed on archive quality 315gsm Soft Textured Natural White 100% Cotton paper. • A3: 297mm x 420mm, with 20mm border. Edition of 50, £50. • Life Size: 800mm x 500mm, with 30mm border. Edition of 20, £120.
"Gold Leith" depicts the Leith motto "Persevere" in 3-dimensional isometric lettering, floating on a gold background. During the painting of this mural, I felt like I was becoming an example of the word and it's meaning - you could say I lived it. The surface of these boxes is unstable and unforgiving to my technique, so the slightest hasty move would set me back hours. It was a far more delicate job than I thought it would be, but the end result is worth it and I would like it to be a tribute to the people of Leith and Leith Walk. My experience was that major infrastructure works, viral pandemics or other calamities can't keep the spirit of the people down and the many kind words of encouragement from the people passing by or stopping to chat or bring me a hot drink really helped me Persevere.
The box is not strictly in Leith geographically, so it is also a bit of an "insurgency", sharing a word we all need front of mind as we live through historic times. ;-)
Robot Medicine
Limited edition fine art Giclee print in two sizes: A3 & "Life Size" (~A1). 100% of profit from print sales for these limited editions goes to Rock Trust & Crisis UK. • Printed on archive quality 315gsm Soft Textured Natural White 100% Cotton paper. • A3: 297mm x 420mm, with 20mm border. Edition of 50, £50.
• Life Size: 800mm x 500mm, with 30mm border. Edition of 20, £120.
In the year 1763, the “Kings Garden”, Edinburgh’s World leading Physic Garden moved from its location, on the land where Waverley Station is now, to Haddington Place on Leith Walk. Occupying 5 Acres between Annandale Street and McDonald Road/Shrubhill, it incorporated “Botanic Cottage”, which was on Leith Walk until 2008, when it was moved brick by brick to the modern Royal Botanic Gardens at Inverleith Row. Botanic Cottage was a medical school, teaching Physicians, Surgeons and Apothecaries in the horticulture, preparation and use of medicinal plants and herbs.
In my ‘Clark Kent’ day job I work for Canon Medical Research Europe, an innovative medical technology company that has been in Leith (at Anderson Place) for more than 20 years. The company started out as Voxar, a pioneer of 3D medical imaging technology. Today it is a centre of innovation researching and enabling the use of Artificial Intelligence for many medical applications.
Situated outside the British Red Cross shop, this mural is also connected to an organisation that provides support and aid to people in need all over the world, particularly in conflict zones. Delivering medicines, food, healthcare and other aid directly to millions of people in desperate circumstances.
All these things come together in the title of this piece, and the image, with its connection to medicine, past, present and future.