A statue of Alan Turing, created in
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
by
Stephen Kettle
Stephen Kettle (born 12 July 1966, in Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England) is a British sculptor who works exclusively with slate.
Career
Kettle is a self-taught sculptor with no formal training. His best known works include Supermarin ...
in 2007, is located at
Bletchley Park in
England as part of an exhibition that honours
Turing (1912–1954).
It was commissioned by the American businessman and philanthropist
Sidney Frank (1919–2006).
The slate for the sculpture was selected from
North Wales because the sculptor learned that Turing used to holiday there as a child and adult.
The slate originated from
Llechwedd, near
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,00 ...
. Turing is depicted seated and looking at a German
Enigma machine. He is dressed in a jacket, but there is some deliberate untidiness in his clothing.
In 2007, it was commented that the statue acknowledges Turing as a
codebreaker
Cryptanalysis (from the Greek ''kryptós'', "hidden", and ''analýein'', "to analyze") refers to the process of analyzing information systems in order to understand hidden aspects of the systems. Cryptanalysis is used to breach cryptographic se ...
but not as a
gay icon. The statue became part of a new exhibition at Bletchley Park on Alan Turing in 2012, the centenary year of Turing's birth. Sir
John Dermot Turing
Sir John Dermot Turing, 12th Baronet (born 26 February 1961) is a British solicitor and author.
Education
Turing was educated at Sherborne School and King's College, Cambridge. He then undertook a DPhil degree in genetics of the fruit fly as ...
, nephew of Alan Turing, attended the opening of the exhibition and posed with the statue.
See also
*
2007 in art
The year 2007 in art involved some significant events and new works.
Events
* April - The Museo Alameda opens in San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A
* 10 June – 21 November – 52nd Venice Biennale.
* October - ''Execution'' by Yue Minjun sells at Sot ...
* ''
Alan Turing Memorial
The ''Alan Turing Memorial'', situated in Sackville Gardens in Manchester, England, is a sculpture in memory of Alan Turing, a pioneer of modern computing.
Turing is believed to have taken his own life in 1954, two years after being convicte ...
'' (2001), Manchester
*
List of LGBT monuments and memorials
References
External links
*
Alan Turing statueinformation from
Stephen Kettle
Stephen Kettle (born 12 July 1966, in Castle Bromwich, Warwickshire, England) is a British sculptor who works exclusively with slate.
Career
Kettle is a self-taught sculptor with no formal training. His best known works include Supermarin ...
2007 establishments in England
2007 sculptures
Statues in England
Stone sculptures
Cultural depictions of Alan Turing
Monuments and memorials in Buckinghamshire
Sculptures of men in the United Kingdom
LGBT monuments and memorials in Europe
Bletchley Park
Slate industry in Wales
{{UK-sculpture-stub