Beachcomber was commissioned by Essential Edinburgh as part of a scheme to regenerate Edinburgh's Rose Street whilst celebrating the work of the so called 'Rose Street Poets' who used to gather in the pubs along Rose Street. George Mackay Brown was associated with this group of poets and is the author of the poem Beachcomber, the poem illustrated along the panels.
The design was initially created as a handmade paper cut before being transformed into large steel panels by Pentland Precision Engineering in Edinburgh. The work was shortlisted for the Adrian Henri Prize for Poetry in Art in 2013 and for the Association of Illustrators (AOI) Awards in 2014. 'Beachcomber' was supported by The Prince's Foundation, Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature and British Telecom.


Photos by Marton Zsichla


Copyright Astrid Jaekel 2023