We never thought we’d say, ‘this amazing shed’, but … This amazing shed is artist, Philip K. Smith III’s Lucid Stead situated at Joshua Tree in California. We love the way it seems to disappear into its surroundings. What do you think of it? What’re your favourite pieces of mirror art?

What do you think it would take to make a tumble-down wooden hut in a Californian Desert into a world-wide art phenomenon, surely more than a few mirrors and some LEDs?

Well no. In fact, a few mirrors some LEDs and a huge portion of creative vision was all it took for artist, Phillip K. Smith III to turn a ramshackle shed in a desert in California in to an international art sensation.

The project, called Lucid Stead, is a mind blowing creation, containing a variety of mirrored panels, LED lights and customised electronic equipment mounted on a humble timber shack.

Just like the almost lunar desert landscape the Lucid Stead is situated in, the piece changes throughout the day.

During the daytime swathes of the building appear transparent and waiflike, thanks to the deliberately placed mirrors that reflect the panoramic landscapes of the Californian Desert. During the night, the windows and doors light up in vivid colours to create floating squares and rectangles of technicolour in the otherwise lightless expanse.

Smith says his creation Lucid Stead, ‘is about tapping into the quiet and the pace of change of the desert … When you slow down and align yourself with the desert, the project begins to unfold before you.  It reveals that it is about light and shadow, reflected light, projected light, and change.’

Smith will tell you that, unlike a painting hanging on a wall in a museum, his project requires commitment due to its remote location and calls upon the viewer to really participate and engage with the artwork and the surrounding landscape.