PHi - Blackwood, Wales. - Abstract Public Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Commissioned by Caerphilly County Borough Council this bronze sculpture is sited outside the Methodist Church in Blackwood Town centre.

The design was inspired by the towns public art theme “ where nature meets industry” and is combination of two main elements. A Golden section spiral design and a stone age Axe head.

The outer shape of the work follows the curve of a Golden section spiral which is a naturally occurring geometric form found throughout nature in, amongst other things, the shape of sunflower seed heads and pine cones. The title “Phi” comes from the name of the Greek sculptor, Phidias, who was involved in the design and construction of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens, which also uses the Golden section in it’s design.

The shape of the inner, green section of the sculpture was inspired by a 4500 year old Axe head found at Pen Y Coed Fawr, near blackwood. Being a piece of nature that was shaped and used a tool the ancient Dolerite Axe head is the prefect representation of “where nature meets industry” and was very inspirational when designing this sculpture.

Below is the text shown on the plaque attached to the "PHi" Sculpture.


The sculpture combines two main elements within its design.
The first is a stone age dolerite axe head, found near Blackwood. The Axe head was used to inform the inner concave shape of the sculpture.
The second element is the Golden Ratio spiral. The outer Profile of the sculpture was produced using this mathematical ratio. The Golden Ratio (1.618), also known as PHi, the divine proportion or golden section, is a number often encountered with nature and can also be found thought history in Art, Architecture and Music.
The symbols on the ring around the base represents the four elements, religion and the cardinal points.

The same script is duplicated below in Welsh. And also shows a diagram of the Axe Head + the Mathematical drawing, = the sculpture.

Source :- (visit link)

Title: " PHi " Artist: Rubin Eynon Media (materials) used: Bronze. Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): sited outside the Methodist Church in Blackwood Town centre. Date of creation or placement: 2007

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Date Logged Log   04/14/2012 veritas vita visited it