"Munch" Green

Today I visited the Scotsman Steps in Edinburgh - a flight of 104 steps, each one of a different marble, leading from the New Town at Waverley Station up to the Old Town at the North Bridge. Apparently these steps were being neglected and mistreated, so in a bid to turn their reputation around, it was decided to turn them into a public artwork in 2011, with the artist opting to use marble as his chosen medium. 

A friend from the city commented cynically on it in a conversation last weekend, saying that just because they now call it an artwork, it doesn't mean that it's going to be treated differently. Sadly, indeed that seemed to be the case - there were takeaway containers left dropped on the landings, unknown fluids trailing over some of the steps in the darker corners, and dried chewing gum on many of the steps. Despite this, I loved it. It was fascinating to see the colours and patterns - each one unique and individual. Seeing beyond the litter was easy as the staircase is so beautiful.

I took a close up photo of the landing at the bottom of the first flight of steps if coming down them. I didn't notice at the time but there's a patch on it that reminds me of a skull - or of the face from Edvard Munch's "The Scream". When I checked to see the name of this marble I saw that it's called "Picasso Green". I think it should be renamed "Munch Green".