Helios XVI

Figure 1: Back view of Helios XVI
BARRY MASON

Helios XVI

Helios XVI is made of Westwood stone and was commissioned in 1987 by Peterborough Development Corporation. The artwork has been referred to as Helios XVI throughout my search for the exact title. I have yet to learn from the source why the plaque by the sculpture says Helios I.

The carved sphere at the top of Barry Mason’s Helios sculpture responds to the movement of the sun and symbolises the passage of time, depicting a globe. The artwork, which is aligned with the meridian, was designed to commemorate the summer solstice, and the face of the sculpture is only fully lighted by the sun at this time, producing a sculptural calendar. The artist has a particular fascination in light pathways and shadows, which led him to build a series of Helios sculptures, including this one and another at Milhamford College in Oxford1.

If you have any additional information on the Helios, please send us a quick email by clicking the ‘Contact’ button below. Thank you.

Contact
Figure 2: Front and top view

Figure 3: Front view

Figure 4: Sign below Helios

Reference:
1. Nene Park (nd) Peterborough Sculpture Collection (online) Available at: https://www.nenepark.org.uk/peterborough-sculpture-collection [Accessed: 01 Sept 2021]
Figure 1–4: Fu, R (2020) Helios XVI [images]