Spot the Edinburgh locations in Soo Burnell's new solo photography exhibition, I am home

By Gaby Soutar

Published 20th May 2023, 04:55 BST

If you’re an Edinburger, part of the joy of artist Soo Burnell’s new photography collection, I am home, is working out the location of the shots.

You can try, if you visit her new solo show at the Capital’s Saorsa Art Gallery from June 3-11.

The easily identifiable ones include the high-ceilings and Art Nouveau columns of The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Waverley Station’s roof, The Dominion cinema in Morningside and a cavernous and almost empty National Museum of Scotland.

Night at the Movies - The Scotsman Picturehouse Pic: Soo Burnell

However, she also features a few less recognisable spots, like the exterior of Murrayfield Ice Rink or the new squash court at Meadowbank.

“They're not that obvious,” says Burnell. “But if you hold on a second and look again, it's like, oh, yeah, I remember. I've definitely been looking at places from my own past and revisiting buildings that I completely forgot about. It’s not Edinburgh like you've seen before. Maybe you wouldn't recognise it at first glance”.

As Burnell grew up in Blackhall, she took many of the I am home shots in nearby Stockbridge. These include one of The Grange Club, where two identically dressed women prune the hedges.

In general, it’s rare to see the city presented as vibrant and Wes-Anderson-symmetrical, as opposed to Gothic, moody and Hogwarts-y. There are no shots of the castle.

The Milkman - Cockburn Street Pic: Soo Burnell

“Edinburgh is known for its dark, grey, rainy-reflection photography,” Burnell explains.”’I wanted to take a new angle, showing a more colourful, quirky and whimsical side of the city”.

You might have seen her at work, if you’ve been up in the wee hours. The National Museum of Scotland pictures were taken before they opened the doors, when it was free of children’s shrieks.

As she says, “These buildings are completely empty and echoey and it’s just the most wonderful thing”.

She photographed The Mound at 6am, so it was “clean and free of traffic” and still had to piece three shots together, post-production, in order to edit out the cars and photobombers.

Nowhere But Here - Scottish Portrait Gallery Pic: Soo Burnell

Although the locations may be familiar to some, the human subjects always remain anonymous.

They’re posed so you can’t see their faces and wear vaguely retro clothes that echo the era of the architecture, or match the surrounding colours. The styling is an important part of the process. The unusual outfits are a feature, but not the focus. Many of them are carrying suitcases, as if they’re leaving or arriving. None of them are interacting with each other.

“Maybe the viewer will be left to wonder who the person is, or think about their story,” says Burnell, who prints her photographs on linen.

Although professional models were used for most of the shots, this artist has also recruited relatives, including her 24-year-old nephew, Ben Irvine. He’s the be-suited figure, sitting outside Edinburgh cafe, The Milkman, while holding up an edition of The Scotsman so it covers his face.

Gardening at The Grange Pic: Soo Burnell

“I love to use him because he really understands my work and fully embraces the character,” says Burnell.