New mural unveiled by Paisley Housing Association

Paisley Housing Association has worked together with Paisley artist Mark Worst to create a new large mural called ‘The Young Poet’.

New mural unveiled by Paisley Housing Association

Mark Worst and Kathleen McCutcheon at the mural in Castle Street

The partnership has resulted in the creation of a fresh new look upon a tenement in Paisley which is now home to the mural.

It is a nod to one of Paisley’s most famous sons, poet Robert Tannahill, born in 1774, as it overlooks Robert’s place of birth in Castle Street, in the town’s west end.

Upon the mural’s completion this week, Paisley Housing Association praised Mark’s work, saying it “perfectly recaptured Paisley’s proud past”.

The mural features a young boy, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, proudly carrying a basket of freshly-picked fruit and vegetables. Many observers feel the child’s appearance is reminiscent of the hit TV drama Peaky Blinders.

Mark has a growing reputation as one of Scotland’s finest artists. Remarkably, it took him just nine days to create the mural and it has already drawn admiring glances from passers-by.

Mark said: “The overall theme of the mural is to promote healthy eating and wellbeing, projecting a positive image of youth in carrying home fruit and vegetables. The old-fashioned cap, waistcoat and shirt place the boy in the 1800s at the height of the Paisley thread mill era. You’ll notice the feathered quill coming out his pocket which gives the subtle suggestion that he may be a young Robert Tannahill.”

He added: “The piece is completed with the silhouette of an old thread mill wheel which, of course, is a distinct reference to Paisley’s rich heritage.”

Kathleen McCutcheon, Paisley Housing Association chief executive, said: “Mark has done a magnificent job transforming a tenement gable wall into an eye-catching and hugely-impressive piece of art which perfectly recaptures the town’s unique heritage.”

She added: “Paisley Housing Association is deeply proud of our town and we are currently undertaking a significant amount of work in the west end with a number of environmental improvements. The mural is just one way we can make a difference to the visual appeal of the area.”

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