Uroboros (sculpture)

Uroboros is an outdoor 1979 sculpture by Charles Kibby, located at Westmoreland Park in the Sellwood neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon.[1] It is a modern depiction of the uroboros, an ancient Egyptian and Greek symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.

Uroboros
The sculpture in 2015
Artist	Charles Kibby
Year	1979
Type	Sculpture
Medium	Cast concrete
Subject	Uroboros
Location	Portland, Oregon, United States
	45°28′09″N 122°38′31″W
Owner	City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council

Description and history

Plaque for the sculpture

According to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work, the cast concrete sculpture measures 48 inches (120 cm) x 14 inches (36 cm) x 72 inches (180 cm) and rests on a base that measures 24 inches (61 cm) x 20 inches (51 cm) x 20 inches (51 cm). The organization lists "MAC 1979–80" as the funding source.[2] However, the Smithsonian Institution lists the sculpture's measurements as 45 inches (110 cm) x 45 inches (110 cm) x 16 inches (41 cm), on a base that measures approximately 21 inches (53 cm) x 20 inches (51 cm) x 16 inches (41 cm). The Smithsonian categorizes Uroboros as abstract ("geometric") and notes that it was commissioned by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) before being donated to the park.[3]

The sculpture is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.[2][4]

See also

• 1979 in art
• CETA Employment of Artists

References

1. "Westmoreland Park". Portland Parks & Recreation. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
2. "Public Art Search: Uroboros". Regional Arts & Culture Council. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
3. "Uroboros, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
4. "Uroboros, 1979". cultureNOW. Retrieved November 3, 2014.

External links

• Uroboros at the Public Art Archive