Artist’s statement:
Dietrich’s Mirror is a series of self-portraits taken in mirrors belonging to the late Marlene Dietrich. The first images in this series were taken in a mirror which shattered in transit from the auction house. While I was initially disappointed that the oldest and rarest of the mirrors (a travel mirror Dietrich owned in the 1930s) had arrived broken, I used the loss as an opportunity to create this set of darker, fragmented images.
In addition to my interest in mythology and superstitions surrounding reflections and mirrors, I often incorporate them into my work as symbols of spiritual and psychological states. I am interested in the provenance of Marlene Dietrich’s mirrors as a type of liminal canvas—a canvas which once belonged to an icon known for her use of mirrors and her meticulous crafting of image.
This series is both a tribute to one of my favorite actresses as well as an experiment with mirrors of an intriguing provenance. Shattered is the first segment of this series, which is in progress.
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