A huge crucifixion figure made of coathangers went on display outside a church as an artist launched his new project yesterday.
David Mach, 54, created the sculpture as part of his project to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in 2011.
The work outside St Giles' Church in Edinburgh is the first of four coathanger crucifixion figures, including a contemporary sculptural version of Calvary, which will be displayed as part of an exhibition at Edinburgh's City Art Centre in the summer of 2011.
Various elements from the project - collages and coathanger sculptures - will be on show throughout the UK in the coming year.
Mr Mach, originally from Fife, is famed for his dynamic large scale collages, sculptures and bold installations, which include the Big Heids on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh and The Brick Train in Darlington in north-east England.
He said: "I like the expression 'The Bible Is The Word' - to me it's all about communication.
"The King James Bible communicated its message so effectively that its language still resonates through our speech to this day. Today we live in an age of sophisticated mass communication - satellites, computers and live TV links - and yet we still have wars, famine and bigotry. To me that represents a failure of communication.
"The King James Bible holds as pertinent a mirror up to our human failings as it did when it was first published 400 years ago. "The richness, devastation and pestilence of biblical imagery is as fine a subject as I could wish for to explore the hypocrisies of the contemporary world."
He will also make a large-scale limited edition artist's version of the King James Bible.
The project will include some of the artist's large scale collages, which will bring a contemporary dimension to biblical stories such as The Flood, Crossing the Red Sea, Jesus' miracles and the epic visions of St John.
The first collage in the project, Tower of Babel, is on display in The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, running from June 14 to August 22.
Over the course of the year other elements of the work will be on show, with a collage at St Paul's Cathedral and a crucifixion sculpture at Gloucester Cathedral in the autumn.
Councillor Deidre Brock, culture and leisure convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: "I am delighted Edinburgh's City Art Centre will be hosting such a prestigious exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in 2011.
"David Mach is an extraordinarily talented, internationally renowned artist and the City is proud to own three of his works, including his very striking portrait of the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
"Our curators have already been working very closely with Mr David to create what promises to be a superb exhibition which is certain to draw huge crowds to the City Art Centre next summer."