Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Umbilic Torus


This sculpture is called "Umbilic Torus" by sculptor Helamon Ferguson and it is on display in the plaza of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics at Stony Brook University.  It is a stunning thing to come across while walking across the campus.  It is 28 feet tall and made of Silicon Bronze with antique patina, and weighs 65 tons.  An interesting thing is that carved around the base, and painted in red is the name of the sculpture, the formula for an umbilic torus, and the name of the sculptor.


For the mathematically inclined, this is the formula for the torus, in case you want to make your own.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is amazing and beautiful! Was it built on site?
Joan

Ken Spencer said...

I don't think so. It does consist of the metal torus, but there is the marble base, which would have come separately I think.