Optical Tree by Lisa Pettibone, Glass, Steel, Metal, Unique, 240 cm (H) x 190 cm (W) x 170 cm (D)

Optical Tree is a unique sculptural work by Lisa Pettibone. This striking piece combines glass, steel, and metal to create a contemporary vision of a tree. Inspired by nature’s forms and the play of light, Pettibone brings together organic ideas and industrial materials in a single, graceful structure.

The sculpture’s branching steel framework spreads outward and upward like the canopy of a flowering tree. Each slender branch ends with a smooth glass ball, almost like buds or blossoms frozen in time. These glass spheres catch and reflect light, so the piece shifts and sparkles as the light changes throughout the day. In this way, Optical Tree feels alive, it interacts with its surroundings and invites viewers to pause and notice subtle moments of reflection and refraction.

Pettibone’s practice often explores the tension and harmony between the natural world and human-made materials. In Optical Tree, she captures this balance perfectly. The strong steel branches suggest growth and structure, while the delicate glass orbs add a sense of fragility and wonder. Together, they evoke the idea of life reaching outward, always drawn to the light.

Standing over two meters tall and nearly two meters wide, Optical Tree commands attention. Yet its open, airy form gives it a sense of weightlessness and calm. It can stand as a centrepiece in a garden, courtyard, or spacious interior, bringing nature’s quiet poetry into modern spaces.

With this work, Lisa Pettibone reminds us to look up, look through, and look beyond, to see how light transforms even the strongest forms into something ever-changing and full of life.