SolidNature presents a new limited edition of sculptural piece The Bookmark by Paul Cocksedge ​

London, 18 September 2023 - Award winning natural stone brand SolidNature collaborates with British designer Paul Cocksedge to create a new edition of The Bookmark. 

The sculptural piece will be on display at The Conran Shop throughout London Design Festival 2023. 

Paul Cocksedge, known for his unorthodox approach to materials in works that span public art, sculpture and architectural installation has chosen to work with SolidNature on a new iteration of his iconic sculptural piece. 

The Bookmark is everything a bookmark is not: heavy to lift, difficult to carry and bigger than the book itself. The work alters the power balance between page keeper and book, tethering it to its place on its distinctive acute triangular shape. 

This new edition of The Bookmark in collaboration with SolidNature, available in both table and floor sizes, sees the book elevated further still through the jewel-blue tones of the Lapis Lazuli Semi-Precious stone and rich earthen colouring of the Sunset Dune travertine. Whilst the large Bookmark on show are one of a kind collectors item, both sizes can be ordered in a variety of different stones including colourful travertines, marbles and quarzites. The simplicity in geometry of the wedge-shaped bookstand, with its large flat planes, becomes the perfect uninterrupted canvas to show off this intricately veined material to its full effect. 

The blocks of stone used for the small and large versions of The Bookmark were hand-selected by Paul Cocksedge and processed at SolidNature’s workshop in Amsterdam, where they were CNC carved to shape and hand-polished to finish.

“At SolidNature, our passion lies at the crossroads of functionality and art, where we craft enduring pieces that withstand the test of time. We are committed to creating timeless projects, whether it be architectural and interior spaces alongside the world's foremost architects, or collectable pieces with exceptional designers. This is perfectly exemplified by Paul Cocksedge’s ' The Bookmark.' It has been an inspiration to collaborate with such a creative mind and we look forward to working with Paul again in the near future.” David Mahyari, CEO, SolidNature

“The Bookmark radically changes the book as an object, making it an active part of the surrounding space, almost an object of veneration on its rocking altar”, says Paul Cocksedge. “The colour palette of SolidNature stones are so surprising, with tones, textures and patterns I have never seen before in nature. Fabricating The Bookmark out of such a permanent and ancient material is at odds with the transient nature of reading and adds to the sense of spectacle.”

The large version of The Bookmark in Semi-Precious Blue Lapis Lazuli is a one of one collectable piece and is available for purchase exclusively at The Conran Shop until January 2024. All pieces are made to order.

NOTES TO THE EDITORS

The Bookmark by Paul Cocksedge with SolidNature ​
​The Conran Shop ​
​55 Marylebone High St, London W1U 5HS ​
​Opening Hours: ​
​Mon-Fri: 10AM to 6PM ​
​Sat: 10AM to 7PM ​
​Sun: 12PM to 6PM

ABOUT PAUL COCKSEDGE ​
​Paul Cocksedge is an internationally acclaimed British designer, who has spent the last decade building a reputation for innovative design, underpinned by research into the limits of technology and materials. His catalogue of work spans design products, architectural projects, installations and sculptures, all infused with the sense of simplicity, joy and wonder that has come to characterise his work. Recent projects include the Please Be Seated installation for London Design Festival; a major public art installation in Hong Kong, entitled Time Loop; the Performance exhibition at Friedman Benda New York; and the Slump exhibition at Carpenters Workshop Gallery London. A new permanent version of Bourrasque is now on display at Dior 30 Montaigne in Paris, a retail space designed by Peter Marino, and Cocksedge completed a permanent artwork entitled Loop for London office space The Rowe. At the start of 2023 he unveiled Coalescence, a suspended artwork made of thousands of pieces of coal which debuted at Liverpool Cathedral. ​
​Cocksedge has collaborated with major brands including: British Land, Swire Properties, Swarovski, Fendi, NHS, BMW, as well as private clients, and his work is included in collections at the V&A, MoMA and Vitra Design Museum. His work has received accolades from Wallpaper*, the Design Museum, Homes & Gardens and the German Design Council. paulcocksedgestudio.com

ABOUT THE CONRAN SHOP ​
​Trailblazing innovator, architect, restaurateur, writer and designer, Sir Terence Conran remains a voice of authority in contemporary design today. Through founding The Conran Shop he spearheaded a bold new era of modern living, informed by his travels and driven by a fundamental belief that great design should be available to everyone. Hailed as modern Britain’s original tastemaker, Sir Terence’s unrivalled vision has influenced many of the ways we furnish and decorate our homes today and it is in his distinguished design principles that we carry on his legacy. ​ ​
​In 1972 on London’s Fulham Road the Conran Shop opened its doors for the first time. Since then, retails spaces across the globe have followed, reinventing neighbourhoods and a design conscious following. A name now synonymous with good design, The Conran Shop is a curated showcase of innovative and contemporary designs across furniture, lighting and home accessories. Conranshop.co.uk