Interview with Thom Puckey on Lens Trees, Amsterdam, 21 November 2022

Interview with sculptor Thom Puckey in his studio in the Tetterode building in Amsterdam by students in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage as part of their elective MA course Placemaking for Conservation at the University of Amsterdam. The focus is Puckey’s outdoor sculpture Lens Trees (1988) located at Binnengasthuisterrein in Amsterdam. After discussing some general information about his art practice, Puckey explains the idea of the sculpture and the special positioning of the lenses in relation to the concept, its shape, the materials used, the metal and wax models, steel-reinforced concrete base, sandwich-like Lexan lenses, stainless steel lens-holders and screws, and the tree of cast bronze. Inspiration for the work, including Pablo Picasso’s Les Trois Danseuses and a triptych by Hieronymus Bosch. Als costs to create and to renovate the Lens Trees are discussed, as well as maintenance, in addition to the liberty for people and animals to use the work. He stresses the need for a conservation treatment because of the degraded and yellowed lenses. In relation to conservation in general, he mentions the treatment of one of his works in silicone rubber at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, for which he was interviewed by Laura Wolfkamp.