The Compass

The Compass represents the Faculty of the Built Environment.

Artist: Basil Watson (Jamaican)

The sculpture depicts Man shaping his environment with the use of technology. The compass is a simple instrument used for describing circles, here- the circle of life, man’s environment and his existence. The head is turned to survey; the feet are firmly planted; the hands are clutching the compass harnessed across his shoulders; the man twists in a dynamic circular motion and provides the intelligence, power and motive force to create the circle of his life.

The compass has another function- with the feet placed east & west and the points of the compass placed north and south, the compass becomes a sundial, charting the daily rise and fall of the sun, the passage of time within the circle of life. Additionally, the linear quality of the work is reminiscent of designing and construction.