The works for which Fred Eversley is most known take the form of transparent, monochromatic, concave parabolic lenses with optical properties. Palm Springs Art Museum is fortunate to have three of Eversley’s lens works in its collection—Red Lens; Untitled, a similar lavender lens; and Untitled (Black), a smaller black form. In these works, the curve of the lens refracts the direction of the light in ways that distort and tint what is seen through it.

Trained as an engineer before becoming an artist, Eversley collaborated with NASA and aerospace companies, which influenced his interest in the parabolic lenses that concentrate energy to a single focal point. His work is also influenced by the notion that energy is the common element for all natural and human systems. Eversley was a pioneer in the mid-20th-century Light and Space art movement rooted in Southern California. His use of materials, including plastic, polyester resin, and industrial dyes, reflects the technological advances that define the artistic innovations of the time responsible for creating new forms and augmenting viewers’ perceptions.