The Edinburgh Evening News claims to have discovered the identity of the sculptor. The general view is that We Don't Want To Know...
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Friday, 16 September 2011
Poetree Update
The 'poetree' is now on display in the reception area of the Scottish Poetry Library.
Which has clearly had the desired effect, as the comments book next to it shows:
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Festivals 2011: Going out with a bang
Every year in Edinburgh the Festivals season is brought to a dramatic and loud climax with the Edinburgh International Festival’s fireworks concert. The last week of August is usually filled with people trying to figure out when exactly it’s happening, having spent the preceding weeks either immersed in or hiding from the festivities...
I’ve viewed these displays of pyrotechnic excess every year since they started (I shan’t mention when that was but I was young enough to fall asleep during the concert because it was past my bedtime) and have been completely spoiled. Having one of the world’s largest and most impressive sets of explosive devices hanging overhead once a year, getting better all the time, means that anything in a back garden on November 5th is about as exciting as lighting a dicky gas hob.
This sort of thing doesn't come cheap. Word on the street - well, internet - suggests that there are to be around £1million of fireworks set off this year. To cover this expense, over the years the event has been sponsored by Glenlivet (who commissioned Carl Davis to compose the ‘Glenlivet Fireworks Music’, which I remember singing at school and miss dearly) and latterly the Bank of Scotland. This year Virgin Money are the sponsors - having opened offices in the city centre they're throwing money at all sorts of things this year - and the EIF invited people to come up and tour the preparations for this year's event.
I thought I would be clever and take the spare camera so I wouldn't have to fumble with lenses but in the post-Festival haze I then left the main camera at home so was left fumbling nonetheless. Tsk.
Once through the inner gate of Edinburgh Castle the outer wall is layered about eight feet deep with racks of explosives and wires running between them like a pasta chef's mad dream.
In days of yore the fireworks were triggered manually in time to the music, using little boxes like these. Unfortunately, some of the music at the concerts can be a bit too fast for mere humans to keep time with. So why not use computers? Well, it's tricky to syc up a preprogrammed computer with a human orchestra and conductor; an unexpected pause and the whole thing would come apart. The solution? Most of the fireworks are still set off by hand but where there are fast sections there will be a computer-controlled subsection.
I was suprised to hear that the fireworks themselves, as well as the trigger mechanisms, are imported from all over the world; although apparently the famous waterfall - pretty much the biggest display of its sort - is British made. The devices are certainly varied in appearance, what I could see of them. Many were covered in plastic, presumably to protect them from the rain, making it look like an exiting trip to IKEA for wrapping paper.
The Castle was swarming with efficient-looking people tending to their charges, wiring things together, poring over plans and never far away from a fire extinguisher!
Sadly there had been some sort of miscommunication which meant that we had to get out by 6pm, when the Castle closes, and the tour was truncated. We were given a very brief look at the breakdown of this year's display on our way...
... passing some very serious-looking first aid kit...
... pausing to admire the artistry of the setup, which takes a week of intensive labour for such a brief climax...
... chuckling at the covers for the cannons, which I suspect could take a certain amount of explosive without damage...
... and then it was over, and we just had to get through Arcade Fire's soundcheck without harm.
Many thanks to the people at the Edinburgh International Festival for organising the tour which was fascinating if brief. Maybe next year I'll manage to get a better, longer look...
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Paper Sculpture in Central Library
Another has appeared in the Central Lending Library on George IV Bridge.
Taking the form of a book with a magnifying glass mounted atop it (made of paper of course!) it was left on a shelf and was unreported for at least a couple of days.
For Central Library ‘A Gift’ @Edinburgh_CC This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…. LIBRARIES ARE EXPANSIVE
The word "expensive" has had the E crossed out and replaced with an A. No question of the creator's views on library cuts... The tag then notes, "Words on book - Edwin Morgan". No talk of Rankin this time!
In the news:
Scotsman article, 30 August 2011
Library blog post, 31 August 2011
A plastic cover has been placed on it and for the time being at least it is on display where it was left.
And here's some coverage from STV.
Wednesday, 24 August 2011
Paper Sculptures at the Book Festival
Two more appeared today at the Edinburgh International Book Festival!
One, addressed to @edbookfest (the Book Festival), was left on one of the signing tables in the Bookshop.
The tag on this reads:
To @edbookfest 'A gift' This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas...... & festivals xx
It includes a teabag filled with cut out letters, on the tag of which are the words "by leaves we live". The cup on the top has a swirl of words which read " Nothing beats a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and a really good BOOK", and on the 'tray' next to the cupcake it says "except maybe a cake as well".
The other, addressed to @edincityoflit (UNESCO Edinburgh City of Literature), was secreted about their stand in the entrance tent.
The tag reads:
To @edincityoflit 'A gift' LOST (albeit in a good book) This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas.... "No infant has the power of deciding..... by what circumstances (they) shall be surrounded.. Robert Owen
Intriguingly, this is crafted from a copy of The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinnerby James Hogg.
This book is not only a favourite of the City of Literature team but is also known to have been an influence on Ian Rankin's work. So far quite a few of these sculptures have overt links to Mr Rankin, suggesting this is no coincidence. As Ian was due on site later in the day and had not yet met any of these creations face to face, the @EdinCityofLit team introduced him to their new baby.
Former local Guardian beatblogger Michael MacLeod and all round top journo was on the scene to file a swift report. The Book Festival's blogger also shared with the world, and @edinCityofLit's Anna has a mention of them...
Guardian article, 24th august 2011
Edinburgh International Book Festival blog post, 24th August 2011
Once the latest additions to the family have found offical homes I will update with further images and information...
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Monday, 1 August 2011
Festivals 2011: Building a Book Festival
Every year Edinburgh undergoes a number of drastic changes. Buildings are put to very different uses for one month only and new venues appear around the city. In recent years people have started to get very excited by the appearance of the big purple cow in Bristo Square, seeing it as a very clear indication that the festivals are about to descend on us.
But what few notice is the miracle in Charlotte Square: the city that is the Edinburgh International Book Festival grows there in three weeks, only to be dismantled at the end of the Festival season... By the end of July it's clear that something is afoot, although it's yet a far cry from the finished product.
Something I hadn't realised is that the placement of the many and varied buildings around the square is something that has evolved over the 28 years since the festival started. Each tent is squeezed up between the trees to make as much use of the space as is possible!
I had hoped to create a thorough series of the build this year but time, and the weather, foiled me. So instead I went on site on the day when the books were due to start coming in, a remarkable undertaking when you realise how many they have! When I arrived most of the buildings were there, it was only lacking the entrance, the Spiegeltent and the yurts which are used to house the authors, press etc. The bookshop tent was all but complete; the shelves were all there, all it needed were books!
The children's bookshop tent was slightly further behind, with workmen still finishing the shelving, but this seemed a minor matter.
The site was a hive of directed activity, the displays were getting the finishing touches...
... the main theatre was getting the last bits of tech installed...
... there were chairs and tables just waiting to be placed...
... and the last of the walkways were getting covered.
At last the moment arrived and the first load of books arrived. The initial set up takes three lorries loads of books. Over the course of the festival some are taken away and replaced, as different events will cause demand for different stock. This is all rotated through a secure container on site and a huge warehouse out of town. Now there's a timelapse I should do!
As each pallet of books was unloaded it was delivered to one of the bookshops and unwrapped.
The boxes are then taken to the appropriate section by the bookshop staff, where they mount up at a fair pace!
Once the first delivery is in the unpacking starts and shelves start to fill up.
And then more boxes arrive...
... and are delivered to the bookshops...
... and the shelves fill up...
And all the while every box has to be painstakingy flatpacked for later - after all, not everything gets sold and they will need to get them out again in just a few weeks!
It was a dizzying thing to watch!
I'll be going in again before the Book Festival starts but I expect it will be all ready to go. Then it's time for the fun and I'll try to keep you appraised of what's been happening there.
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