This painting of the White Hart Hotel, New Plymouth and the Len Lye Centre is a tribute to them both. One has been standing for 138 years the other has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. They happen to be the most iconic and contrasting pieces of New Plymouth architecture (both my favourites in their own way) and they stand as neighbours. I see the two of them as a metaphor for other types of diversity in society, which should be embraced and celebrated.

The Len Lye Centre building, to me, is a perfect structure to house the Len Lye collection. His kinetic sculptures, which I have experienced since a young child, are all about the interplay between the structures themselves, their movement and the environment around them. As they move and shimmer, they throw reflections and shadows out to hit the surrounding structures or people; and even a subtle change of light makes a new artwork. The Len Lye building itself interacts with the environment too. It may not move, but as you move around it, the imagery reflected back moves and changes constantly. A different light, sky scape or a different angle is enough to change the reflections distorted back to the observer.