Patterson Webster
Two Roads   2011
Cedar tree trunk, acrylic paint, acrylic lettering
Collection of the artist

This sculpture features a tree trunk whose naturally forked branches point in two directions, offering a choice of paths. The trunk is painted yellow and on it is a sign with the words “Two Roads,” a reference to Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” and its opening line “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.”

The poem has special significance for the artist: the first book of poetry she purchased as a university student was a collection of Frost’s poetry that included this famous verse, and its message about the importance of making choices informs her artistic practice. The “Two Roads” sign is one of many examples in her art where she uses words to evoke quotations or concepts from poetry, literature and philosophy, expanding the work’s frame of reference beyond the particular location.