Mirage is a sculpture that is 50 feet in length and 21 feet in height, the first sculpture located on the TTUHSC Odessa campus. The contrast of a geometric building and organic sculpture allows the two forms to complement one another. The sculpture is non-literal but is meant to capture the essence of the West Texas landscape. The gestural nature of the sculpture relates to one’s experience while traveling over the flat and stark land. Also represented is the wind, due to the flow of the shapes, and the taller elements represent sun rays. There are several interpretations of what the viewer experiences. This allows the sculpture to engage viewers in different ways, thus personalizing their unique experience and perceptions.

Artist Albert Paley is an American modernist metal sculptor. Paley has become a distinguished and influential artist within the dialogue of art and architecture. Within each of his works, three foundational elements stay true: the natural environment, the architectural environment, and the human presence.