A SPECTACULAR RUBBER fresco of famous faces, from Donald Trump to Theresa May, Sean Connery in his days as a nude model, and Alasdair Gray, has been unveiled in a new Scottish home for printmaking.
The new Edinburgh Printmaker's home, at Castle Mills, a former rubber factory in Edinburgh, opens this weekend after a multi-million pound refit.
The artist Thomas Kilpper has carved his relief into a rubber gallery floor, and the host of figures included refers to the era of Trump, Brexit, and artists past and present.
The striking carved artwork, which has created prints that are now hung on wall and ceiling, is the opening exhibition of the new site: The Politics of Heritage vs The Heritage of Politics.
HEAR: Listen to the CultureCast on the opening of the new Printmaker's HQ
Edinburgh Printmaker's new home includes a print studio, equipment for traditional and digital processes, artist accommodation, art galleries, a shop, café and print archive.
The building was once a key industrial site in the city: North British Rubber employed 8000 people at its peak, making Wellington boots, tyres, hot water bottles, golf balls and other products.
Rubber production ceased at the C-listed building in 1969 and following use by Scottish and Newcastle Brewery has lain empty and under threat since 2004.
It has been made into an arts production space, by Scottish architects Page \ Park.
It still retains its wooden-panelled official entrance, as well as large work rooms and modern spaces.
READ MORE: Arts News on the new Edinburgh Printmakers home.
German born artist Thomas Kilpper's work covers the floor, back wall and ceiling of the gallery, and includes images of a dancing Theresa May, Kate Moss in Hunter boots, President Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, a group of former German politicians observing Brexit, among others.
The image of Connery, who grew up in the area, is from his days as a nude model at the Edinburgh College of Art.
Mr Kilpper said: "It was great working with the team at Edinburgh Printmakers for four weeks on this installation. I knew it would be extremely hard work again and in a relatively short time I would have a lot of decisions to make.
"So I went once more into the lowlands of the floor - on my knees.
"To depict and reflect from there the situation - not least the Scottish one.
"[It shows] a concert, Scottish music with different players and numerous listeners was given, shrill tones, serious tones but above all dissonant, absurd and contradictory tones - as if by a miracle they were all looped into and out of the printing machines and the artistic workshops of Edinburgh Printmakers. The printing presses became a meaningful melting pot that holds everything together and connects it all."
READ MORE: Cost of new Printmakers HQ rises
The art work, created by a team of artists led by Mr Kilpper, is not permanent.
Shân Edwards, chief executive of Edinburgh Printmakers, said: "We’re delighted to welcome visitors to our new home at Castle Mills.
"As an arts organisation breathing new life into an industrial building and making it accessible and welcoming to the public is part of our vision for the future.
"This former hub of industry and innovation will maintain those roots now as a creative hotspot in Edinburgh.
"As one of the largest print studios in Europe, Edinburgh Printmakers will be an international destination for artists and enthusiasts alike.
"Working closely with locals in Fountainbridge over the time of the development years has been a privilege and we’re proud to be in a position to make Castle Mills a social hub at the heart of community once more."
The building includes three new artistic commissions.
The Entrance Gates are in powder coated galvanised steel by Rachel Duckhouse.
There is a kaleidoscopic work, the EPscope by Calum Colvin, Suzy O'Leary and Peter Smith.
There is also the Catalogue Wall in glass fibre reinforced concrete by Mark Doyle.
A City of Edinburgh Council building, the conversion of Castle Mills began in 2012, and is part of the Council’s redevelopment plans for the area of Fountainbridge.
Suzy O'Leary from Page \ Park Architects commented: “It is critical we conserve, occupy and reimagine our built heritage to ensure it remains in use for many generations to come. Edinburgh Printmakers ambition for this project has been an inspiration from the start."
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