Sponsored by
Yorkshire stone head artist mystery solved
THE WHITBY Gazette has solved the mystery of the stone heads that have appeared in Goathland and across Yorkshire.
Wakefield artist Billy Johnson has been unnmasked as the man who placed the stone carvings at various locations across the country.
According to the company who look after Billy's website the artist was conducting an experiment when he placed the heads in Goathland on 18 September.
Judi Alston, director of One to One Productions confimed it was the artist who was responsible for the mystery.
"He was taking part in an art project whcih was basically to follow the progress of these heads to see if they would take on a life of their own," she said.
"He wanted to see how people would react to being given a free gift. It was not a publicity stunt, I can't think of anyone less interested in media coverage than Billy.
"He is currently in a tent somewhere in Scotland or Ireland with no phone or computer and will not be aware of the huge interest this has caused."
Mrs Alston confirmed that the man captured on CCTV outside Rotherham carrying a stone was Billy.
"He is a stong man and very determined he would have had no trouble delivering the stones.
"I know he has placed them in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Scotland and there are some still undiscovered. In total I think he placed 57 around the country."
She could not shed any light on the mysterious rhyme - "twinkle twinkle like star. Does love flourish from afar?" - Which was found with each head but said that many of the people how had been left a stone had made contact with her.
His website www.paradox-carving.co.uk shows a range of heads that the artists has created.
On the website it says: "Artist Billy Johnson is inspired by the natural environment, his work is about cultivating a timeless essence of personality in each individual stone, rock and fossil matrix. "
"Using minimal hand tools, Billy works with natural materials in a fluid and responsive way, bringing out the beauty of each individual piece.
"Each of the larger head pieces is completed by twilight."
The stone heads have appeared in Kilburn near Thirsk, Selby and near Rotherham.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Whitby
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 37 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
