"Sentinel" 2014

for Newbridge 200, Newbridge Co Kildare, laser cut stainless steel, approx 3m tall

The sculpture "Sentinel" was developed for Newbridge 200 to mark the bicentenary of Newbridge Town. The sculpture stands approximately 3 meters tall and is easily visible to visitors entering the town. The sculpture is a stylised, abstracted figure, a sentinel or a guard at the entrance to the town, bearing in front of it the symbol of Newbridge 200. The rigid vertical and horizontal lines of the figure are contrasted with the flowing curves of the Newbridge 200 logo.

The figure is further embellished with swirling energetic fractal shapes, reminiscent of flames. This suggests the fires of the Phoenix as it is reborn anew. The Newbridge 200 bicentenary celebrations are an acknowledgement of not only passing a milestone but also the energy of the town. Fractal mathematics has long been a passion of mine and finds its way into much of my public artwork.

Although the budget was very limited I managed to propose and create a very tall sculpture using square section stainless steel pipe and laser cut sheet which I already had in my studio. After the sculpture was finished there was a bit of a wait for the installation - the bad weather during winter 2013 delayed the site preparation. The sculpture was officially launched on December 8th, 2014.