New public art sculpture SITELINES unveiled in downtown London, Ont.

The City of London unveiled a new public art sculpture downtown that captures the city's forest tree line, skyline and spires of heritage architecture.

Created by artist, architect and educator Jyhling Lee, SITELINES straddles the sidewalk outside of the Azure Condominium at 505 Talbot Street.

"Its final placement is quite interesting," said Lee. "It forms a new entrance to the heritage courtyard, a space that straddles new and old architecture in this neighbourhood."

Lee, who grew up in Ingersoll and spent much of her life in London, said she spent time walking and exploring the area to develop a site-specific concept for the piece.

"This project was inspired by the natural and urban context of this area," she said. "That being the Forest City, the tree canopy, the tree lines, the changing city skyline with the presence of Azure Condo and other condos coming up down the street, as well as the soaring spires and ornamentation found in nearby heritage architecture."

The structural components of the sculpture are made out of hexagonal tubular elements, which Lee says were inspired by the xylem vascular structure in plants.

"I really strive to create works that people can engage with at a distance and up close," said Lee. "In my public art works, I also strive to create projective forms, which allows viewers to bring their own imaginative interpretations and different ways of relating to the work."