Born in Leith, Edinburgh into an immigrant family, Eduardo Paolozzi (1924 – 2005) was one of the greatest Scottish and European artists of the 20th century. A prolific sculptor and printmaker as well as an inspirational teacher, he drew on culture in all its forms, from classical myths to comics and ephemera and is seen as the godfather of the Pop Art movement.

Interned for three months in Saughton Prison as an enemy alien in 1940, Paolozzi then spent a few years attending art schools in Edinburgh and Oxford before his first solo exhibition in London, 1947. He exhibited in London, Paris and Germany amongst others, completed commissioned works in Edinburgh and opened the Paolozzi Studio in the Dean Gallery (now Modern Two) before his death in 2005.

His native city is where you will find some of his most arresting work but also a demonstration of the breadth of his creativity: Paolozzi at Large in Edinburgh pays homage to Paolozzi’s unique way of making art as a ‘constant reinvention’ of the ‘world at large’. Reflecting the artist’s multifaceted approach, the book contains a vibrant combination of responses to his revolutionary oeuvre, in particular the Edinburgh masterpieces and includes new poems in English with Italian translations, informed commentary and new artwork inspired by Paolozzi.