Beginning with looking at Robert Smithson’s work and his specific use of reflective surfaces, his multi sided vortexes were what first caught my instant attention. Personally, I think if you are going to introduce mirrors or similar, at least make it interesting; don’t use a mirror if it’s only going to reflect a blank wall. In regards to this idea, Smithson’s use of four mirrors and steel creates a maze like creation, influenced by his love of science fiction landscapes. What seems particularly apparent is the utter confusion and chaos as one’s eyes lose the ability to concentrate with the mirrors and their reflections endlessly repeating the image which the surface shows. With this lack of concentration comes a sinister tone with predatory notes and sense of fragility and sudden vulnerability. There is a kind of predator and prey at play with the addition of mockery and intimidation.
I think the biggest similarity in my own personal interest was the message that copied this concept in the 2004 film ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson. After the song titled ‘Masquerade’, there is a beautifully shot scene where Butler (the Phantom) and Wilson (Raoul) play a kind of cat and mouse change. The predator of the piece, Butler, seeks out rather a weak and pathetically fretting prey in the form of Wilson in a kind of mirror maze room, and one can see the narrative that my interpretation of Smithson’s work reflects this scene. Also in film, and again with the use of reflections and how one sees themself, the Disney animation ‘Tangled’ from 2010 sees an image of a woman’s face in fragments of a mirror, therefore showing several views of her face and again a sense of predatory actions but from a different angle. The woman in question is Mother Gothel whose loss of Rapunzel’s hair has transformed her into a haggard old withered woman. In the scene where she frantically tries to grasp the cut and brunetting locks, a smashed mirror horrifies Gothel as she sees an old haggard figure glaring back at her, with beady cruel eyes and a wicked rotten soul, but what makes this far more apparent is the fact that it is smashed, and therefore unkind and more than ungenerous towards the old bat. The idea of Gothel seeing herself in several ways also plays as a personal reflection of one’s own personality and a way of seeing one’s true self, ugly or beautiful. With this in mind, I think that is perhaps the greatest narrative of the scene, where one sees the exact likeness of both their outer and inner selves, and rather like an unveiling moment of truth, where clarity and truth reveal themselves staring at you with rawness and individuality.
As Oliver Cromwell said to portrait painter Sir Peter Lely, Cromwell’s portrait should steer away from the glamour, self-indulgence and vanity of the Stuarts and depict the raw and real sitter who stood as England’s ‘Lord Protector’ in the mid-17th century. ‘Warts and all’ is truly what you see with Smithson’s work, and there is a true sense of reality creeping behind you ready to catch the unaware self.
Looking at Robert Morris’s work actually turned out to be quite emotive even though I didn’t find any personal interest with it. Morris’s ‘Untitled, 1965’ reminded me of a kind of loneliness and sadness, which I think was emphasised by the white walls and grey flooring, creating a monochromatic blankness. I also believe that these don’t draw me in as the strong emptiness has no grip for me, and the fact that there is isn’t a clear narrative that one can find with art leaves the piece waiting for a fulfilling that will forever remain at a pending status.
An artist whose work had more interest for me was Dan Graham, whose placement of mirrors in outside installations enhances the garden like supports and create a maze like effect where once again, the viewer can see what is behind them. In particular, I find there is a magical charm to ‘Octogan for Munster’ where the random placement of the reflective is quite a ‘Narnia’ object that seems to draw the viewer in with its inviting qualities, that evokes a kind of portal potential and time travel transportation, much like the randomness of Doctor Who’s TARDIS. Through this, in my opinion, Graham gives himself a larger target audience, being able to intrigue children as well as adults, which expands his opportunities and potential for future work.
However, my favourite artist from the recommended list is Anish Kapoor, whose work with the idea of reflections in one specific piece really resonates with my interests and what I would like to focus on more, not necessarily in approach and actuality, but concept and intention. In Kapoor’s ‘Sky Mirror’, he has chosen a beautiful garden layout in which to envelope his sculpture that uses a reflective mirror surface in order to reflect the sky’s activities 24/7. With this decision, firstly to use a reflective sculpture and secondly an outside installation, Kapoor produces this forever extending opportunity to really document something that is out of our control- the weather and its power and variety. The idea of being able to capture any weather impresses me and of course, one can only imagine the possible reflections, but it must be incredibly moving to see. Personally, a stormy night or dismal rainy day would be my favourites, but a beautifully calm day, or a perfectly clear blue sky must be a great happening.
One artist that also included reflections, not in sculpture but in painting is Ethel Porter Bailey whose ‘Reflections, 1921’ depicts a beautiful woman to be resting and waiting for something to happen, sat by a mirror showing her reflection as well as what it is she is staring at- a rather empty looking room with an arrangement of flowers. With this piece, Porter Bailey depicts a charming peaceful scene, with a beautiful sitter in a beautiful position with a beautiful expression, and I think the inclusion of the mirror, really helps enhance what the woman is doing and supports the title ‘Reflections’. With her expression, the sitter gives the audience a sense of looking back and thinking about her life, either past or present, and as one can see, the breaking up of her reading in order to have a moment for thoughts gives her a sentimental pleasure which is shown through the softness of her eyes and the ever so gentleness of an apparent smile. In regards to the mirror, the reflection that it offers, even though quite simple, shows a kind of comfort and calmness of a happy home, where one is comfortable and steady. There is a simple charm that she may be gazing at, and through this one cannot help but think that her thoughts are happy thoughts that being pleasure and ease to her life whilst left on her own in the day.
In contrast Manet’s ‘A Bar at the Folies Bergere’ uses mirrors and reflections to create havoc to the viewer and a certain level of difficulty in knowing where to focus their gaze. I think the biggest advantage of the reflective surface is that one can see who the girl is serving, and I feel that this takes on a totally different approach to what the reflections are in the other artists work and how they capture people. With Manet’s work, the girl doesn’t have a need for a mirror in order to see the man approaching the bar in want of her service, and with the placement of the mirror being behind the bar as the wall surface, it is the audience instead who wonders who is there until they catch him in the far right of the painting. I also feel as though Manet wishes to make the viewer the actual character of the painting in disguise as a man. As one stsnds to look at the painting they are imediaately made to be in contact with the barmaid, and therefore interacting with the barmaid. There is the potential to be standing at the side of the man if slightly off centre, but I do feel that one becomes directly involved with the painting which is very rare for this style of painting, and that the situation and narrative of the paintings makes involvement possible.
What is also different from the other artists is Manet’s choice of letting the viewer see what the bar maid sees. With a reflective mirror wall, we are able to see what the girl spends her work time seeing; people chatting, getting drunk, happy, depressed, disappointed. She truly sees the world go by, people coming and going, and one starts to feel a sympathy for her, as she stands there watching people’s lives develop as she waits for her own. She may be happy, we’ll never know, but the expression and vacant glare on her face does imply a sadder story. She will see happiness come to others, empathise with the sorrowful and see romances blossom into marriage that may not come to her, and I think that is the most important part of the narrative. The girl will spend her time watching the hustle and bustle that we get a glimpse of in the mirror, and that is where the business will stay, but she may be stood there forever, waiting for the next customer, the next pay and the next opportunity to release her from this stance and this contained imprisonment like position.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://nerdalert1.weebly.com/tangled.html
ht+tps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bar_at_the_Folies-Berg%C3%A8re
https://www.lissongallery.com/artists/anish-kapoor
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/robert-morris-1669
https://holtsmithsonfoundation.org/four-sided-vortex
https://www.lissongallery.com/artists/dan-graham
SOPHIE FAWCETT'S OCA LEARNING LOG (STUDIO PRACTICE) 