Introducing Diabolo

We are delighted to announce that our Sculpture Walk has grown!

We have received our 14^th outdoor sculpture – a striking, light-reflecting, pyramidal form called Diabolo.

The recently acquired sculpture is the second in the Collection by renowned sculptor and University of Hertfordshire alumna Diane Maclean. It is located at the de Havilland campus, outside LRC building.

^{Diane Maclean, Diabolo, 2018, Coloured stainless steel}

You can experience the sculpture walk – and meet Diabolo – through the installation timelapse and a narrated video below. We hope you enjoy the range of different sculptures and the new responses they may trigger.

Throughout April and in the run up to International Sculpture Day on 24 April, we're celebrating all the sculptures in our Collection with artist interviews, creative activities to try and a competition to win a private sculpture tour!  Follow us on social media to find out more.

Download the Sculpture Tour Map

The University of Hertfordshire Art Collection features over 500 artworks displayed across its campuses. Hosted by UH Arts, the Sculpture Walk introduces 14 outdoor sculptures, presenting an eclectic group of works which map the changing characteristics of British Sculpture since the 1950s.

More about Diabolo

Diabolo was made in 2018 from coloured stainless steel and is based on the form of the ancient Chinese spinning toy.

The sculpture follows a series of pyramidal forms artist Diane Maclean has developed over the years for sculptures in the landscape.

The colour of the material is created by daylight entering a clear oxide on the surface of the curved and polished stainless steel at varying angles. The colour changes through red, purple, blue and gold with the light of day and as perceived from different angles. This kind of scientific element is typical of Maclean’s practice.

An alumni of the University of Hertfordshire, Diane Maclean is an established sculptor who has exhibited widely across UK and Europe. Diabolo has been exhibited at Doddington Hall in 2018 and Beaulieu and Marks Hall, Essex in 2019, after which it was donated to the UH Art Collection in 2020. It is the second sculpture by Maclean in the Collection, and together with Mountain forms part of the UH Sculpture Walk.

Fabricated by Birch Engineering Ltd.