New Zealand sculptor John Edgar (1959–2021) would work with specific precious stones: pounamu, jasper, marble. More often, he would work with stone that told of the place it came from, travelling to select individual stones from quarries in Scotland, Australia and India, as well as prospecting in Te Waipounamu and the Coromandel— he had a particular fondness for Coromandel granite and the common greywacke stones found in our local rivers. To read Edgar’s writing is to understand that he knew the story of each rock he worked with.
For thirty years I have been trying to make good sense in my art. I have attempted to imbue my work with both the essence of the mountain, the river and the vast array of knowledge that is available to us in the 21st century. It's a difficult task to teach a stone to talk. But if you listen carefully you might just catch a word or two. - John Edgar, 2006