Shawcross's 4.5 metre Fracture sculpture, titled Enwrought Light in homage to the poet WB Yeats, was unveiled on 6 September in the grounds of St Michael and All Angels Church, Bedford Park, London.
The sculpture will be on permanent public display. The work is in particular reference to Yeats’ poem He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven, especially the lines:
Imbued with references to the manmade and natural worlds, the abstract form contains a helical stem that grows as it ascends. This alludes to one of Yeats' key visual metaphors – the widening gyre. This complex structure culminates in the support of many hundreds of unique gold and silver fragments that dissipate in precise formation, allowing it to gleam and transform in the shifting light of the day and seasons.The piece stands in London as the first major monument in Britain to the only Nobel-Prize-winning poet raised there. It has been funded thanks to major donors (including the Frampton Fund), volunteers, and some 500+ generous crowdfund supporters. The project has also been supported by Victoria Miro Gallery and Hounslow Council.
Image, Enwrought Light (detail) by Conrad Shawcross
© Conrad Shawcross
Courtesy the artist
