“Blending a traditional craft with new media technology gives me the framework in which I fit my artistic narrative. In my endless mirrors, I try to entice the viewer to look deeply into and completely experience my windows into alternative dimensions. My works create an optical and bodily illusion of infinity through apparently limitless space. There is an intimacy implied by viewing deeply into a circular opening, as if peering through a portal to witness another, endlessly repeating reality. These pieces create a visual space that doesn't actually exist in reality, but claims volume, nonetheless.” – Tim Tate, 2018

Inspired by the gardens of the Biltmore Estate and the opulence and grandeur of the Gilded Age, Tim Tate’s Biltmore Blossoms evokes contemplation of past and present through optical illusion. The piece was specially created by the artist for the Reflections exhibition, which references the Vanderbilt era at Biltmore, and is a ‘little sister’ to the signature piece Tate designed for 2018 Penland School of Crafts Benefit Auction, 8 bats, 4 seasons.