Centaurus/Camelopardalis

Michael Lyons

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About the Artwork

The sculptures exhibited are part of an ongoing series based on the stars and constellations called ‘The Star Series’.
Found and fabricated parts are transformed into new configurations. They are not ‘illustrations’ but draw on mythology, astronomy and astrology across many ages and traditions.

‘Centaurus’ The constellation probably refers to the ‘good centaur Chiron, the healer’. The sculpture went through many stages before its conclusion; the stone was found on the property at Nether Farm, where the artist lives, and the heavy solid steel came from a factory in Sheffield. Combined they produce a totemic image of considerable primitive power and ‘animism’.

‘Camelopardalis’ (The Giraffe) Refers to the Camelopardalis constellation, the sculpture’s placement in the city will draw the eye upwards beyond the surrounding architecture, symbolically linking earth to the heavens. The addition of the long ‘neck’ form gets to the essence of the idea and seems to defy gravity.

Year: 2015


Copyright the artist; Courtesy of the artist, Photo © Nick Turpin

Material

steel, stone

Dimensions

280 x 120 x 50 cm, 337 x 107 x 90 cm

Artist Biography

Michael Lyons

Michael Lyons’ sculpture ranges from steel constructions, to organic bronzes modelled on a monumental scale; although abstract, it draws on aspects of nature, myth and ancient cultures. In 1993 Lyons began to work in China, which profoundly influenced his sculpture through process development and renewed imagery. His monumental bronze ‘Voice of the Mountain: Sudden Storm’ was completed for Shanghai Sculpture Park in 2011. Residencies in Mexico, Germany, USA, Turkey and Cyprus have resulted in numerous large–scale sculptures produced in relation to the culture of these countries. ‘Scale Appropriate: Sculptures by Michael Lyons’ was held at One Canada Square and Jubilee Park, Canary Wharf, London in 2014. Lyons’ drawings and sculpture are represented in the collections of the Arts Council of England, Henry Moore Institute, Yale Centre for British Art, The Canary Wharf Group, the Hiscox Collection and galleries throughout Britain and abroad. Michael Lyons is a former Vice-President of the Royal British Society of Sculptors and founding member of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.