a mirror darkly questions historic usage of the ceramic bowl
all images courtesy of nick ross
a modern reinterpretation of the ceramic bowl’s largely unknown history, ‘a mirror darkly’ by scottish born, stockholm-based nick ross, looks into how guesswork and possible misinterpretations alter the way we see the past. some historians believe that during the late stone age, despite there being no concrete evidence, that small ceramic bowls may have contained water in order to be used as table top mirrors. the lack of proof in this theory only adds to the objects sense of mystery. a mirror darkly is a contemporary version of the mirror-ceramic bowl concept, one that asks the question: is this a new object, or an old one reinvented? once the words leave the mouth of the person pondering these scenarios, they ultimately become true – no matter how false they are.
face on view
as wall mounted mirror
the print sits between the two sheets of glass
the body of the mirror is made from spun copper which is oxidized and then waxed
close up of gradient print
early sketches
spinning the copper body
applying the silver oxide before waxing the surface
early prototype
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