Guardian (sculpture) facts for kids
The Guardian is a really tall statue, about 20 meters high! That's like a seven-story building. It stands proudly over a place called Parc Arael Griffin in Abertillery, a mining town in South Wales. This park used to be the Six Bells Colliery, a coal mine. A talented artist named Sebastien Boyesen designed and built this amazing sculpture.
Remembering the Six Bells Mine Disaster
On June 28, 1960, a terrible accident happened at the Six Bells Colliery coal mine. An explosion occurred deep underground. It was caused by something called firedamp (a gas found in mines) and coal dust. This explosion spread quickly through a part of the mine. Sadly, 45 miners out of 48 working there lost their lives. The Guardian statue was built to remember this sad event. It also honors all mining communities everywhere.
How the Guardian Statue Was Built
The Guardian statue cost more than £200,000 to create. It is made from over 20,000 thin, flat pieces of special steel. This steel is called COR-TEN weathering steel. It's cool because it forms a protective rust layer on its surface. This layer helps the statue last a long time.
Each steel strip is slightly separated from the next one. This makes the statue look almost see-through from far away. But when you get closer and look from the right spot, the gaps seem to disappear. Then, the statue looks solid, with all its details clear. This special way of building creates a cool trick called the Moiré effect. It makes the steel parts seem to move or shimmer when the light hits them.
The statue itself is about 12.6 meters tall. It weighs around eight tonnes, which is like eight small cars! It stands on a stone base that is 7.4 meters tall. Some people compare it to the famous Angel of the North statue in England.
The Unveiling Ceremony
Exactly 50 years after the mine explosion, on June 28, 2010, the Guardian statue was officially revealed. A special service was held, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. About 7,500 people came to the service. Many of them were relatives of the miners who died. The names, ages, and hometowns of all 45 victims are written on steel plates around the statue's base. In November 2011, Prince Charles visited the statue and the nearby visitor center.
