When I was told our drawing project had to include some sort of unconventional mark making, I immediately thought of using mirrors as a medium. I was drawn to the creative possibilities of using reflections to add in another dimension to the piece, and to invite the viewer to participate in the art.
When thinking about how I wanted to use mirrors in my art, I thought of the work of Karen Nachtigall. For her graduate thesis show, she constructed large, mirror-covered, floating sculptures. Her work explores the themes of illness and how we deal with it. Covering her forms in these mirrors added a captivating beauty to her pieces, that effectively drew the viewers into her art. I hoped to make similar pieces that would encourage interaction and curiosity about the works themselves.
Another artist I drew inspiration from was Simon Berger. Using a hammer, he creates detailed portraits and images on glass; a medium typically associated with fragility and destruction. I was drawn to Berger's work because of the skill behind it, and how he is able to intentionally make a beautiful form emerge out of something usually seen as uncontrollable. Though I wasn't breaking any glass in my pieces, I wanted to employ the same idea of presenting something controlled out of the unpredictability of broken glass.
Piece #1
For the first project I decided I wanted to create a cracked glass look on my mirror by cutting out shard-shaped pieces of mirror paper. I hot glued each onto the mirror, intentionally leaving the middle open in a way that would form the question WHO?
I found it interesting how the mirror changes so much with different lighting. Several people I shared this with found it more difficult to make out the question on the mirror, but I appreciate how the unclear nature of the mirror invites people to literally look for a word/meaning in the piece.
I was then left with a cut up piece of mirror sheet paper, and scraps of fake mirror shards that didn't get used in the first project. With these leftover pieces I decided to glue them all down on a cardboard oval, the shape of a mirror, and arrange them all in order to form a self-portrait.
Again, I appreciate the challenge this presents the viewer, of needing to look closer in order to see what forms emerge out of the piece. I also enjoy the fact that even though it is meant to be a self portrait, the viewers can still see themselves in the reflective parts of the piece.
Continuing on with the idea of portraiture, I tried to make another piece that did not involve myself in it. On another piece of cardboard, I traced out the outline of a basic human face/profile. Using more mirror paper, I bent and played with long strips, forming a circus-mirror-type piece. Although this piece is quite simple, I like how playful it feels to look at your reflection in it.
As another playful piece, I decided to use a thrifted mirror and engrave a design on the entire face of it. I liked playing with the idea of obstructing the view of the person looking into the mirror. Using a Dremel tool, I continued the design of the mirror frame onto the mirror itself, leaving a very small circle in the middle for visual interest.
For my last piece, I invited my friends to write with vaseline on a standing mirror. I asked them to write a fear, insecurity, or sin.
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