Roxy Paine's First Dendroid

The artist Roxy Paine in the midst of working on Maelstrom, his latest Dendroid sculpture on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum. Photo by Jeremy Liebman

Artist, Roxy Paine has become known for his Dendroids, tree-like sculptures that have been placed in many public spaces around the world. I once encountered one of his Dendroids while taking a walk through Central Park. It was a striking juxtaposition between the natural environment and an artificial tree shimmering with a silver patina.

Dendroids are exemplary of Paine’s approach to his artwork, where he mirrors natural processes, drawing on the tension between organic and man-made environments. Paine has said: "I've processed the idea of a tree and created a system for its form. I take this organic majestic being and break it down into components and rules. The branches are translated into pipe and rod."

Paine’s first Dendroid was Imposter from 1999 and it was planted deep within the Swedish forest. This work is now at the Wanas Foundation, in Knislinge, Sweden.

Paine has created more than fifteen of these tree-like sculptures at places such as Madison Square Park, New York; Central Park, New York; Art Basel 39, Basel; and Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle.

Opening on April 28, 2009 Paine’s most recent Dendroid will be presented on the rooftop sculpture garden of the The Metropolitan Museum, in New York.