18 July 2006 - HeArt of Stone

The art world has given aggregates an image revamp at the City of London Festival this year, making Tarmac Trupak's Scottish highland cobbles part of a showpiece installation at St. Paul's Cathedral.

The beige, hand-sized cobbles are part of Yoko Ono's exhibition called 'Morning Beams for the City of London'. The project merges two works together, one called Riverbed and another called Morning Beams. One hundred pieces of white rope coming from one point above cast 'light' beams on the riverbed of cobbles below. Generating interaction with its spectators, visitors to the exhibition can place a stone from the riverbed onto either of the squares behind the sculpture labelled 'mound of sorrow' and 'mound of joy'.

This is the second time Tarmac has sponsored the art work. It delivered the tonne and a half of highland cobbles from its Caysbriggs Quarry in Lossiemouth North Scotland.

Sam Buckley, commercial manager at Tarmac Trupak said: "These cobbles are supplied loose and Trupak then pack them in plastic bags for sale through our stockists. The cobbles would typically be used for water features and landscaping in people's gardens across the UK - but for this event each cobble can represent art, contemplation, choice and a symbol of expression. It's a beautiful display which people have really taken to heart."

Astrid Bowron, director of Hampshire Sculpture Trust, who originally chose the cobbles for an exhibition of Yoko Ono's at Portsmouth Cathedral in 2004, said: "The cobbles supplied by Tarmac are perfect for this project as they conjure up the image of a riverbed and are accessible to visitors as they are smooth and hand-sized. We were delighted when Tarmac agreed to sponsor this art work for the second time and if the right opportunity arises we will use Tarmac again in the future for similar projects."