Balance in stone

Waitakere sculptor John Edgar’s ‘Ballast’ exhibition, which uses stone collected from various historic Scottish quarries, will be on show as part of the Edinburgh Arts Festival from August 5 through November 30 at the National Museum of Scotland. Edgar has made sculptures that are based on the land and the flag; the compass, trig stations and survey markers; and the sculptures reference voyages and journeys, arrivals and departures. ‘Ballast’ celebrates in stone the strong culture that is common to both countries. “It’s been an exciting process since it was proposed in 2005 and as you come down to the wire, the last pieces are the most difficult,” said Edgar, whose equipment ranges from intricate detailing tools to a forklift truck. The exhibition is named ‘Ballast’ after the big stones that were collected at Scottish ports and used to keep the immigrant ships upright on the journey half a world away.