helaman ferguson sculpture: Figureight Knot Complement II

Installation:

Williston Library, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts

Commissioned by :

Professor Lester Senechal, Mathematics Department, Mount Holyoke College

Dimensions:

34" x 24" x 24"

Weight:

600 lbs in stone, 125 lbs in silicon bronze

Materials:

Polished and Honeycombed White Carrara Marble on a red oak base

Reproduction:

Silicon bronze, part polished, antique verde on the honeycomb texture.

Special Engraving:

Γ ⊂ PSL(2,Z[ω])

Price:

$6750 (USD)

1996

The white undulating curves of Figure Eight Knot Complement II disguise the hard resistance of the marble. It seems improbable that this beautiful, graceful form had to be chipped out of solid rock. The tactile quality of the polished and honeycomb surfaces invites the touching, rubbing, and caressing, which both closes the distance between viewer and sculptor and increases the perception of its intricate form.

Cf., Claire Ferguson, " Helaman Ferguson: Mathematics in Stone and Bronze", Meridian Creative Group, Publisher, 1994, ISBN 0-9639121-0-0, pages 18-19, 69.

Mount Holyoke College Poster, "Helaman Ferguson", permanent installation at the rededication of the Mount Holyoke College Library, South Hadley, Massachusetts, April 5, 1992, Design by David Bilotti of Los Angeles, the four photographs by Cosby and Bowyer of Richmond, Virginia, printing by J. C. Otto of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

photos by richard barbieri and sunforge studios

description by claire ferguson