Michael Petry’s Mirror Mirror is a striking exploration of our fascination with mirrors and reflective surfaces. It explores this subject through art over the centuries, although mainly through the perspective of contemporary artists today. Working across media, this is a comprehensive account of how various artworks present to the human imagination. The book is a considerable achievement. With over 150 artists represented. This chunky volume is as much a historical survey as it is a deep plunge into the contemporary reinterpretation of an age-old theme.
With a cogent introduction, Petry whisks readers into the reflected worlds of Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait of 1434, Diego Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, and the more enigmatic A Bar at the Folies-Bergère from 1882 by Édouard Manet. The works explore an investigation primarily concerned with the power of reflection to open spaces, shift realities, and challenge perceptions.
Mirror Mirror excels in breadth, encompassing pieces by today’s most influential artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman, and Anish Kapoor, alongside more unexpected yet equally impactful contributions from lesser-known artists like Mark Woods and Michal Cole. Today’s Practitioners are shown revisiting historical preoccupations through modern materials, from Jeff Koons’ inflatable-looking stainless-steel Balloon Dog sculptures to Alicja Kwade’s installations using actual mirrors.
Throughout this opulent book, Petry reveals how mirrors exceed the confines of Narcissus’s pool. Instead, they become devices that bend space, distort reality, and coerce introspection. Gavin Turk, Subodh Gupta, and Doug Aitken are just a few of those who make works that evoke this double nature: objects of seduction and profound philosophy.
He also analyses the smartphone as a contemporary mirror, framing the omnipresent selfie as a manifestation of humankind’s ancient obsession with self-reflection. This framing thus invites the reader to consider modern technology in light of an age-old human need to perceive oneself both as subject and object. Contemporary reflective works in the context of broader cultural and technological change are also discussed. He documents installations by Olafur Eliasson and Sarah Sze, who, in large-scale projects, turn mirrors into immersive environments that play with spatial and personal boundaries.
This book is both a visual delight and a thought-provoking read. As expected, Petry’s authority and expertise are evidenced by his credentials as an artist and curator and by the academic weight of his narrative. However, the book is remarkably accessible and welcoming to every level of familiarity with the art world. My only criticism is why Michelangelo Pistoletto has been omitted from the book. But I suppose it opens the opportunity for volume two.
Mirror Mirror is more than a superficial reflection; it is more than a book of mirrors probing into the reflective powers of art, from identity and the self to the cultural and technological forces that shape our reality. Petry affirms that the power of reflection lies not so much in what we see but in how we interpret the image. – PCR 2024