Leaving one’s mark or some message on a piece of stone or wood is an activity that links us back to our earliest ancestors. Many of us have memories from childhood of cutting our initials into a piece of wood or tree. Giving expression to one’s thoughts, through writing, is therefore an activity we are all aware of. Much of it is ephemeral as in making notes or letter writing whether we are using pencil, pen or word processor. The primary function of these activities is direct communication of thoughts and ideas. Books and journals are more permanent yet they are also concerned with the simple transmission of words. Inscriptional work in stone is even more permanent and has the potential of expressing the text more creatively. There is an undoubted visual delight in the sharp incision of letters into stone that gives substance to the meaning.

Shown here are examples of Richard Kindersley’s inscriptions. These are to be seen in many parts of the country, some in private collections, exhibitions and galleries, others as Public Art Commissions throughout England and Scotland.

The lettering responds to the particular text with careful consideration of the stone used. Slate will delight in the chisel’s finest cutting whereas a sandstone will require a more robust approach to letterforms. Sometimes the presence of a stone or material can so amplify and articulate meaning so that the text can be relatively understated as on the ‘BE STILL’ standing stone.

At other times, lettering can cover the stone, giving drama as with the Blake inscription‘Tyger Tyger’. The lines are set out in short staccato form to echo the sound of a tiger padding through forest. In the Burns ‘Tam O’Shanter’ inscription, the letterforms within words reinforce meaning by expressive drawing and carving, making the words visually onomatopoeic as in RATTLING.  >