Survey Data
Reg No
50020518
Rating
National
Categories of Special Interest
Artistic, Historical, Technical
Original Use
Statue
In Use As
Statue
Date
1965 - 1980
Coordinates
316124, 234000
Date Recorded
19/03/2015
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Freestanding welded steel sculpture, cast 1967 and erected here 1978. Geometric, abstract design, having painted sheet steel pieces welded and riveted together and set in cobbled circle. Inscribed limestone plaque to grass to south-east of sculpture. Set in the grounds of Trinity College, in Fellows Square, overlooked by libraries and arts block.
Appraisal
This sculptural piece by Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was cast as part of a series of cactus-like sheet steel sculptures in 1967. It was erected here, after Calder’s death, as part of Paul Koralek’s landscape design for Fellows Square. Set off-centre on the lawn, it draws the observer to the west end of the square. The work was made available by Calder’s widow and funded by a former Trinity student. Calder is considered one of the most famous American abstract sculptors, best known for his mobile kinetic art, and this piece, though stationary, portrays a sense of movement and energy.