June 18, 2013 through
May 2015

Perforated branches emitted colored light and mist through fan-like blossoms. The tree used for the installation, a Star Magnolia that died years before, has great significance since it is documented that Miss Florence herself had the tree planted during the 1920s. “It would have been hard to find a better tree than this,” stated Geller. “Anticipator continues the bond between this landscape and the creation of art begun by the artists of the Lyme Art Colony.”

Playful and unexpected, Anticipator offered elements of surprise that encouraged visitors to interact with it and each other, fostering a sense of community as they stroll the grounds. Geller often incorporates mist into his works as a means of sparking conversation among viewers by subtly changing their surroundings. Here, positioned against the Lieutenant River, Anticipator transformed the environment, influencing how visitors perceive light and air—factors dear to the generations of artists who have painted this very same vista. Over time, nature also transformed Anticipator, weathering it to a rich orangey brown color as the steel oxidized.

The sculpture’s futuristic combination of natural and artificial forms played off the historic site—the tree trunk was salvaged from the grounds and the exotic blooms recall Miss Florence’s interest in non-native species, many of which she planted around her house. A new biomechanical hybrid that is part plant and part machine, Anticipator shaped its environment in an almost animate way, introducing the elements of mist and light and eliciting feedback in return.

This sensitivity to and interaction with its environment were key aspects of Anticipator, whose title even derives in part from the heat anticipators in thermostats that turn off the furnace just before the desired temperature is reached. A fusion of nature and technology, Anticipator struck a balance between the two.

Learn more about artist Matthew Geller.