The ''Quantum Cloud'' is a contemporary

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

, designed by

Antony Gormley Sir Antony Mark David Gormley (born 30 August 1950) is a British sculptor. His works include the '' Angel of the North'', a public sculpture in Gateshead in the north of England, commissioned in 1994 and erected in February 1998; ''Another ...

, located next to

The O2 The O2 is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars, and restaurants. It was built largely with ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The sculpture was commissioned for the site and was completed in 1999. At high, it is Gormley's tallest sculpture to date (taller than the ''

Angel of the North The ''Angel of the North'' is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world and is viewed by an estimated 33 ...

''). It is constructed from a collection of tetrahedral units made from long sections of steel. The steel sections were arranged using a computer model with a

random walk In mathematics, a random walk is a random process that describes a path that consists of a succession of random steps on some mathematical space. An elementary example of a random walk is the random walk on the integer number line \mathbb ...

algorithm starting from points on the surface of an enlarged figure based on Gormley's body that forms a residual outline at the centre of the sculpture. In designing ''Quantum Cloud'', Antony Gormley was influenced by

Basil Hiley Basil J. Hiley (born 1935), is a British quantum physicist and professor emeritus of the University of London. Long-time colleague of David Bohm, Hiley is known for his work with Bohm on implicate orders and for his work on algebraic descripti ...

, quantum physicist (and long-time colleague of

David Bohm David Joseph Bohm (; 20 December 1917 – 27 October 1992) was an American-Brazilian-British scientist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th centuryPeat 1997, pp. 316-317 and who contributed ...

). The idea for ''Quantum Cloud'' came from Hiley's thoughts on ''pre-space'' as a mathematical structure underlying space-time and matter, and his comment that “algebra is the relationship of relationships.” The comment was made during a conversation between Gormley, Hiley and writer David Peat at a 1999 London gathering of artists and scientists, organized by Peat. The sculpture's structural design was by

Elliott Wood Partnership Elliott Wood Partnership is a structural and civil engineering practice, providing services for all engineering aspects of the built environment. The practice is located in South West London, Central London and Nottingham, England Engl ...

while the foundation design was by Beckett Rankine. Fabrication was by Tubeworkers (Structures) Ltd. Gormley's ''Quantum Cloud'' is part of The Line, a series of art works that follow the

Greenwich Meridian The historic prime meridian or Greenwich meridian is a geographical reference line that passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in London, England. The modern IERS Reference Meridian widely used today is based on the Greenwich mer ...

, through the London Boroughs of Greenwich, Tower Hamlets and Newham.

References

External links

Design study
from LUSAS software including

finite element analysis The finite element method (FEM) is a popular method for numerically solving differential equations arising in engineering and mathematical modeling. Typical problem areas of interest include the traditional fields of structural analysis, heat t ...

of the sculptures structure and site construction photographs.
Project description and photographs
by

, the structural engineering firm that assisted with the design and construction of the structure.
Interview with Antony Gormley
{{Portal bar, London, Visual arts Outdoor sculptures in London 1999 sculptures Sculptures by Antony Gormley Buildings and structures in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Tourist attractions in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Steel sculptures in the United Kingdom Colossal statues in the United Kingdom

See also

References

External links