Untitled sculpture, University of York

The Untitled sculpture, created in 1967 by Austin Wright, is a public artwork located at the University of York. Made from cast and welded aluminium, the sculpture stands 2.5 meters high and 1.7 meters wide. It consists of seven thin, vertically-placed, angular segments arranged in a circle. Each segment features angled cuts at the bottom and top of the outer edge, and a semi-circular cut on the inside edge, creating a spherical space or ‘hole’ at the center. Although abstract, the sculpture resembles a fruit that has been cut into pieces, missing its core. The surface of the aluminium is rough at the outer edges and smooth towards the middle.

The sculpture is set on a concrete base, which is surrounded by radiating circles of squared, quarry-faced stone. This area is integrated into a pedestrian walkway designed by the architects Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners, featuring an in-situ cast concrete boxed ramp. The walkway is paved with concrete slabs and includes a steel handrail attached to the wall. The ramp is cantilevered from the center and finished in vertically board-marked concrete with four recessed horizontal bands. It can be accessed from the south and leads to a concrete bridge at the east, providing access to the J B Morrell Library. An additional entrance has been created at the top of the ramp on the south side, accessible via a steel staircase.