Life Force by Sam Keil; bronze, 2010
Keil’s sculpture explores the invisible energies that shape structure and form. She rarely works from life, instead focusing on the dynamics behind physical systems.
Keil has said, “What matters is the soul of the structure, but the words used to describe this, force, dynamics and harmony, are all terms familiar to the engineer.”
Gifted by the artist.
Escape I by Neil Canning; serigraph with woodblock, 22/75 (edition of 75), 2006
This dynamic work explores our shared experience of nature’s raw forces.
Vibrant colours evoke explosive tension, while precisely drawn lines suggest engineered structures.
It invites reflection on the relationship between human design and the natural world - how engineering both responds to and is shaped by elemental forces.
Escape II by Neil Canning; serigraph with woodblock, 22/75 (edition of 75), 2006
This work channels the raw energy of the sea. Its palette - blues, whites, and blacks - echoes the coastal landscape of Canning’s Cornwall home.
It encourages us to consider how the untamed energy of the sea can be harnessed - through thoughtful design and a deep understanding of the forces at play.
For more about the artist click here.
Lavaliere by Chris Wood
Wood is a British light artist working at the intersection of light and engineering. She has explored how optical materials - especially dichroic glass - can control and perform light as a tangible medium.
Her installations use engineered surfaces to reflect and scatter light, creating vibrant, shifting colour effects. Inspired by nature’s fleeting moments, her precise, often mathematical designs reveal light’s potential as both a technical and expressive force.
For more about the artist click here.
What is dichroic glass?
It’s an optical material that displays different colours depending on the angle of view and lighting conditions. It’s made by layering ultra-thin films of metal oxides - such as titanium, chromium, or magnesium - onto glass in a vacuum. These layers selectively reflect and transmit light, producing shimmering, colour-shifting effects.
In engineering, dichroic glass is valued for its ability to filter specific wavelengths of light, making it useful, for example, in optics, sensors, and display technologies. In art, it has been used to create dynamic installations that respond to changes in light and perspective.