Gyre (work of art)

Artwork Info

Artist
Thomas Sayre
Artist Details
American
1950-
Medium
Concrete (colored with iron oxide and reinforced with steel and mottled with dirt residue from earth casting), Sculpture
Created
1999
Dimensions
Ellipse nearest building:
H. 24 ft. 6 in.
x W. 22 ft. x D. 2 ft. (7.47 x 6.71 x .06 m)
face, W. 12 in. (30.5 cm) Middle ellipse:
H. 22 ft. 6 in.
x W. 22 ft. x D. 2 ft. (6.86 x 6.71 x .06 m)
face, W. 12 in. (30.5 cm) Ellipse farthest from building:
H. 21 ft. 6 in.
x W. 22 ft. x D. 2 ft. (6.55 x 6.71 x 06 m)
face, W. 12 in.
(30.5 cm)

About

Spiraling out of the landscape, Gyre is situated invitingly on the Museum Trail. The sculpture was made by a dramatic earth-casting technique daringly practiced by Thomas Sayre. A back-hoe carved three separate elliptical shapes into the ground. The concrete-iron oxide mixture was poured directly into these trenches, rather than into conventional formwork, and allowed to cure. Then a crane pulled up each element, positioned it, and lowered it into place. This oversimplification greatly underplays the difficulty of the process.

 

Tags: earthwork, geography, site specific

 

Images

  • photo of Thomas Sayre's sculpture Gyre

    Gyre by Thomas Sayre

    three rings made of concrete from earth casting

  • photo of Thomas Sayre's sculpture Gyre

    DI24805-04

  • photo of Thomas Sayre's sculpture Gyre

    DI25534-170

  • photo of Thomas Sayre's sculpture Gyre

    SL22131-137

Related Concepts

Credit

© Thomas Sayre

Gift of Artsplosure, City of Raleigh

Commissioned in conjunction with Artsplosure's Millennium Celebration Arts Education Initiative with Enloe Senior High School of Wake County
Principal funding provided by the City of Raleigh, WRAL-TV5/MIX 101.5 FM, Glaxo Wellcome, AT&T, Carolina Power & Light Company, SAS Institute, and Time Warner Cable

Additional funding provided by United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, Wake County, North Carolina Arts Council, and the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation