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Mirror

2017 Competition entry

Martie Bitzer

Details:

Sheet metal, acid etch, gun blue
370 mm x 730 mm

Description:

This artwork is based on a photo of Martie as a small girl at a professional photographer's studio. Trying to lift her spirits she was handed a doll, while unaware of her social responsibility to rise to the occasion for the benefit of all involved. It represents a moment where a child is overwhelmed with the demands presented by a situation. A time frame that blatantly reminds oneself of our own shortfalls articulates the deeper yearnings of our being, though it hardly has a name at the age this photo was taken.

The moth's nocturnal tendencies reminds of the joy and anguish of being a mother, of lying awake at night. Pushing the boundaries of metal as canvas allows for experimentation with its tactile properties and its reactionary qualities. Metal presented Martie with a mirror of well-known traits where her own voice became more than just a whisper. It discovered a face in the mirror.