Beyond is a large suspended sculpture by Suffolk-based artist Fred Lankester. Installed in our ground floor entrance foyer, it is visible from outside, illuminated as night falls it creates reflections of light from Saxmundham High Street. As the sculpture slowly rotates the play of light on the surface of the sculpture and the walls of the room is mesmerising.

Fred Lankester remarks:

This version of Beyond is created in Correx board with silver and black Fablon surfaces (Correx is the material often used for estate agents ‘for sale’ boards). It is a full-scale mock-up intended to be eventually created in a mirror finish stainless steel or highly polished alloy, with a light absorbing black circle.

It was partially inspired by the art and writings of the minimalist artist, Robert Smithson and his essay 1969 ‘Incidents of Mirror Travel in the Yucatan’ published in Artforum.

Beyond plays with light. The black circle, partially actual, and partially reflected, is always complete when viewed from any angle. The light absorbing circle is an imaginary hole to a place beyond that has no intended context beyond its suggested existence. The space accessed beyond is determined by the contemplative thought of each viewer’s response to the work.

Further context only became apparent during this installation at The Art Station. When viewed at eye level, while slowly revolving and with a singular light source, the central image is a constantly changing ‘X’ (the cross edges) followed by an ‘O’ (the black circle), XOXO, an abbreviation for hugs & kisses. It brings the object to new and current associations of missed direct contact with loved ones, the star like appearance often associated with this time of year, and at a time of the ‘great conjunction’ the visible path of Saturn and Jupiter converging on December 21st 2020 (the Winter solstice).”

See Fred’s instagram for more of his work