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The Young Turk grows up

Pauline McLean | 21:12 UK time, Wednesday, 5 August 2009

At a mere six years old, the Edinburgh Art Festival is the youngest of the capital's festivals but it's giving the others a run for their money this year.

Fifty spaces had exhibitions opening on Wednesday, including Edinburgh Printmakers who have a show of new work by veteran artist Sir Peter Blake.

The young Turk of British pop art may be a white-bearded gentleman now but he's still heavily involved with the music scene which made his name.

"I still work with musicians. I've just done an album cover for the Blockheads, and I've just done a book with Brian Wilson about his album Lucky Old Son, which is his anthem to California and I did 12 images to illustrate that."

And dare we mention the Sergeant Pepper album? The iconic image which made his name but not his fortune (his gallery signed away the copyright while Sir Peter got a flat fee.)

According to colleagues, his mild demeanour turns sour when anyone mentions it.

He's kind but firm when I ask if he gets tired of being asked. "yes, i do", he responds.

"Recently, I've tried to talk about it, if it's essential. I've loosened up about it.

"There was a time when I just couldn't talk about it. My mouth went dry. I'd said the thing so often, I couldn't say them again.

"But it's a nice thing to have done - such an icon - that I can't not talk about it."

And there are clearly no bad feelings between him and the band who feature in at least one image in his diamond dust series.

But the artwork causing a stir in this show is his new image of Andy Warhol.

He recalls: "We never got on, we were both quite taciturn".

Just a day into the run, all prints have already sold out.

Sir Peter Blake is conventional in comparison to some of the things on offer at this year's Edinburgh Art Festival.

One of the most beautiful exhibits - but still frankly strange - is the Cybraphon at the new gallery Inspace.

Inspired by early 19th century mechanical bands such as the nickelodeon, the Cybraphon is an interactive version of a mechanical band in a box.

The robotic instruments respond to online comments.

When we visited the Cybraphon, it was underwhelmed, it's little needle pointing slightly towards despondency.

Its makers say they have installed precautions to ensure it doesn't go into complete melt-down if people say really mean things about it, which is always a possibility in the midst of festival season.

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