The Cuningar Stones: The Night Stone

Square-shaped stone with horizontal layering of dark organic material. The upper surface of the stone is carved with a representation of the moon on which the outline of a rabbit can be seen. The east face of the stone shows a deer lying on the ground with a full moon visible above. The south face is carved with the profile of a badger. The west face depicts a recessed mine entrance with a hammer and pick carved on either side. A crossed hammer and pick motif can be found in the upper-right corner with a single pick axe on the left. The north face of the stone shows a crow standing on top of a miniature version of the mine. The crow faces a nightjar. The Cuningar Stones is a permanent public art project for the Cuningar Loop Woodland Park, a 15 hectare former landfill site in South Lanarkshire between Rutherglen and Dalmarnock. As part of the project 15 large carved sculptural works were produced drawing on an extensive programme of research and community engagement which examined the complex social, industrial and natural history of the site. Each stone was recovered from the ground after being dumped there during the demolition of the Gorbals in the 1960s. Developed to reference Scottish folk carving while retaining the aesthetic of an architectural ruin, the stones act as landmarks within the landscape encouraging exploration and generating interest in the identity of the park. Each stone retains the architectural details and other marks from its history with my own carvings intervening in these layers. This self-led project was supported by Creative Scotland with National Lottery Funding. For further information on the project see: www.cuningarloop.tumblr.com