Exterior Installations
“Placing a mirrored log under a canopy of trees has the most transforming effect,” says Lee, “turning nature in on itself and revealing the sky; bring wood and air, sky and earth together.”
Lee Borthwick
London, England
In the summer of 2018 Lee’s studio was approached by the director of Liquid Art Systems to deliver a series of mirror interventions for their stunning private Sculpture Garden on the Isle of Capri. The studio arranged the fabrication of a large mirror which was precision cut to fit the dramatic stump of a recently felled tree. Lee used marine quality polished mirror steel to ensure longevity in the environment and a high-quality reflection. A dramatic intervention that sees the extraordinary blue sky of Capri brought down to the garden floor. In addition the studio also produced a small series of mirrors to match the stump ends of recently felled branches on a nearby tree. As the viewer passes by different perspectives from the garden and beyond are unexpectedly projected from the tree.
Mirrored logs provide a poetic way to open up natural spaces, allowing the viewer to look again at nature, by looking into nature. First conceived in 2009 through an experiment with matching contradictory materials, Lee’s mirrored logs have appeared solo or in trails in public and private outdoor spaces across Europe.
Following a residency at Hannah Peschar Sculpture Gardens, Surrey, Lee used fragrant catalpa wood donated by her hosts to create a new style of outdoor sculpture, inspired by the hanging forms of weeping willow.