John Kemp Lee manipulates and patinates metals (lead, steel, brass) to create his wall sculptures. Minimal in form, the works capture both the meditative essence and the elemental forces of nature, and create a matrix of color and texture to portray industrial space.

The subject of Lee’s work is an attempt to understand the relative distances between the artist and the things in his life (objects, ideas, people and philosophies) about which he is most passionate. Whatever the inspiration is that moves the poet or the visual artist to go exploring, the real journey at hand is a travel deeper into oneself. The work on view is aimed at creating a series of pieces that engage the viewer in some kind of contemplative or meditative thought. They are, in some fashion, a series of spirit houses, each intended to hold for a moment some particularly important thought or emotion; a sanctuary that reflects the immediate character and identity of those ideas and feelings contained within.It is an attempt to identify and describe the ineffable. It is not intended to pin down the specifics, but rather an effort to discover what is universal among specific, even unique, circumstances.