An 18-foot-high sculpture newly installed in uptown Palm Springs is meant to reflect the area's mid-century modernism architecture and the changing desert light, the piece's creator said today.

The "Intersecting Cubes" sculpture at 803 N. Palm Canyon Drive will be officially unveiled by city officials at a ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday.

The piece includes a pair of 4-foot cubes that are suspended in the air with four steel columns.

Artist Brian Biedul used a powder-coated silver paint that reflects the changing light of the desert.

"You get a reflected light off of the planes. In Palm Springs, the quality of light changes considerably over the day," he said. "Most people don't notice it, but it's pretty noticeable."

At sunset, the cubes match the colors of the mountain behind it, he said.

"Each plane (of the cube) is reflective of the light that is coming through that plane," the Los Angeles-based artist said. "In the morning hours, the sculpture looks a certain way. It's warm and reflects those types of tones."

At night, the sculpture "comes alive" via environmentally friendly LED lighting, which uses a low voltage, he said.

"At night you can stop by and you can see it creates a whole different dynamic than what you see during the day," Biedul said.

The sculpture is one of 41 public artworks in the city.

Mayor Steve Pougnet said the piece is emblematic of the modern design aesthetics for which the city is known.

"The sculpture compliments the uptown art and design district and emphasizes the importance of visual culture in our city," Pougnet said.

Biedul said he approached the city with the design, which was meant to compliment the nearby building Design Within Reach.

"I was the one who proposed to put it right next to that building," Biedul said. "I wanted to know the way it looked had some relationship next to that building. I kept that in mind when I was creating the piece."

Neighboring business operators praised the sculpture, calling it a welcome addition to the uptown district.

"I think it's a beautiful gift during a time when things have shifted. Here we are gifted with a beautiful piece of art which is extremely contemporary which is line with the district," said Dino Raimondi, showroom director at Interior Illusions, a contemporary furnishing store.

Richard Foster, owner of Antiques and Fine Consignments, agreed.

"I think it fits in quite well, actually," Foster said. "It fits with the mid-century modern stores around here."