MIRRORS THAT REFLECT THE OTHER’S GAZE©
Mirrors, wood, mixed media; 30 x 15 x 1 cm each (2008)

 
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Mirrors that Reflect the Other’s Gaze© was exhibited along with Guaterama at The One and the Other, a collective exhibition held in the Spanish Cultural Center of Guatemala in July, 2008.

This piece explores the idea of a mirror as a container of all the possible dimensions of the self. By antonomasia, a mirror is simultaneously a representation of what we are and what we are not; that which we are afraid to accept and recognize and that is nevertheless an intrinsic part of our identity. The mirror houses our other’s ego; it reflects the very image of the other within the self.

Resorting to a long literary tradition, this magic mirror goes beyond its immediate and everyday function: it reflects, within our countenance, the true gaze of the other, at once emphasizing the complexity of individual identity, and inciting and enabling us – with a playful and ingenious spirit – to explore the value of relationships with others to the construction of the self. Mirror that Reflects the Other’s Gaze© reminds us that it is precisely within that mutual reflection, both literally and metaphorically, that the greater part of our personality resides.

Emiliano Valdés, 2008