MIRRORMIRROR : THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE IN CONTEMPORARY ART
(édition en anglais)

A dazzling exploration of the use, as a medium, of mirrors and reflective surfaces in contemporary art worldwide.

The many faces and spaces to be found in reflective surfaces are presented in this intriguing global survey of work by artists across media, nationalities, genders and locations. As dazzling as it is thought-provoking, MirrorMirror is the latest in Michael Petry’s innovative series of investigations of tendencies in contemporary art, as seen through the eyes of a practising artist, curator and writer.

From site-specific installations involving large mirrors placed in the natural environment to intimate reflective surfaces designed to challenge the viewer’s stability, the works in MirrorMirror invite us to ponder and – yes – reflect upon the nature of reality and our place within the world. A multitude of artworks capture how mirrors appeal to more than just human vanity but are objects of magic, transformation and power.

A fascination with mirrors and reflective surfaces is a common theme among artists of the past. Present-day practitioners are no less intrigued, revisiting historical concerns and approaches for contemporary circumstances, often working with modern technologies and materials, from stainless steel to vinyl and from polished obsidian to sunglass lenses. Michael Petry gives special consideration to selfies and the way in which the mobile phone now operates as a modern-day mirror to the self. A wide-ranging survey of the many different ways contemporary artists have incorporated reflection and reflectiveness, this book also shows how these
artists are in dialogue with works and ideas handed down through history.