Diane Maclean

Description

Based on the simple design of the human spine - this sculpture forms a tribute to Diane Maclean's late father, a surgeon and medical artist. It is a typical example of this artist's love of mixing organic and man-made themes, where its method of construction forms an integral feature of the work.

The colours are produced on the stainless steel through a complex chemical process, in which each sheet is dipped into tanks of oxide. This adheres itself to the metal in varying degrees of thickness, according to the quantity of oxide that is used and when natural light falls upon the surface, the full colour spectrum may be seen.

The richness of each colour corresponds entirely to the intensity of light that reflects onto each sheet and so the appearance of the sculpture changes with the time of day, season and weather, as well as the shadows that are reflected upon it. Its iridescent colours echo the intense tones seen in the natural world, for example in blue-bottle flies or butterfly wings and in this way 'Spine's' man-made features become more softened, natural and beautiful.