Ever wonder about the story behind these vibrant shapes? This is Bright Shadows Point. It’s a public artwork by Fiona Curran. Bright Shadows Point connects Eddington’s history with its future.
Curran’s sculptures were commissioned by the Contemporary Art Society. They sit here at the Turing Locke hotel. The three artworks were inspired by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit. They also draw from the work of Arthur Stanley Eddington. He was a Cambridge University professor of astronomy.
Curran developed her ideas from discoveries made at the Eddington site. These discoveries spanned over twenty years. Eddington proved Einstein’s theory of relativity. He studied a total solar eclipse. He showed how the sun’s gravity bends light.
Curran was inspired by looking up at the sky. This is the astronomical side. She was also inspired by looking down at the ground. This is the archaeological side. She created a visual response. It relates to shadows on the land during a solar eclipse. It also relates to scars made by archaeological digs. These digs uncovered Eddington’s history.
Curran developed planar forms. These forms came directly from eclipse shadows and archaeological ditches. They were also influenced by mapping and layering. Histories are imprinted on the earth. Ring ditches particularly informed Curran’s work. Ring ditches are semi-circular digs. They connect points of archaeological interest. They show where things were found. They reveal how histories overlap. Curran also drew inspiration from the Newel Observatory’s circular foundation.
The vibrant colors of Bright Shadows Point come from archaeological finds. A bone comb inspired one color. A brass fastening inspired another. Fragments from an old stopping inn offered more hues. Shards of red Sumerian Ware pottery also contributed. Curran used a water-jet cutter to cut the shapes. Then they were painted.
Curran explored how the planar forms could interlock. She created upright structures. These interlocked planes create shadows on the Eddington landscape. dRMM collaborated with Curran. They tested different siting options. The sculptures help people move from Market Square. They guide them into the hotel’s green courtyard.
Bright Shadows Point refers to shadows on the landscape. These shadows come from former settlements. They’re indicated by aerial archaeological surveys. The artwork also references the archaeological digs themselves. It highlights encounters with the site. These encounters occur from multiple perspectives. Both from ground level and from above. Bright Shadows Point enriches Eddington’s sense of place. It sparks interest and intrigue. So take a moment to appreciate the blend of history science and art. Let Bright Shadows Point illuminate the past and the future.