What is this? And, can I buy one of my own?
This is a contemporary piece by Fred Wilson called "Iago's Mirror." While living in Venice, the artist was inspired by the local glassmaking traditions and by 18th century design. Also, he did produce it in an edition of six, this is number five, so perhaps you could track down and purchase one of the remaining five!
Are there other mirrors from the 18th century in black like this in the museum?
There are other 18th century mirrors on that wall, if you look up a bit.
None are originally black. maybe oxidized?
No, actually, making the work all black was an innovation of Wilson's. The 5 ornate mirrors of diminishing size are painted black, rather than backed with the silvering that would make them reflective, and then fused together one atop the other. The formal device of black glass is often used to represent Africa and “blackness” in Wilson’s work. The black glass has the added dimension of being reflective.
Wilson has made several works referring to characters in Shakespeare's Othello (Iago is the main antagonist in this play). Wilson is African-American and he's very interested in exploring themes of African-American identity. Here is a quote from Wilson about the Othello reference:
"For Othello, largeness, beauty, and power together form a double-edged sword. People are afraid of power but Iago’s jealousy was so huge that he got around his own fear and destroyed Othello from the inside out. That is what 'Iago’s Mirror' is about: this is Iago looking at himself as Othello; love and hate mixed with his own jealous ego."
How was this produced?
Fred Wilson made this work on the island of Murano near Venice, Italy, which has a centuries-long glassmaking tradition. He was able to collaborate with master glassmakers...It was made in layers. The layers were painted black and they were placed on top of one another. It was inspired by 18th-century mirror designs -- some of them similar to the other, older mirrors on this wall!
When was the first mirror invented and what was it made out of?
This comes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information from the US National Library: "The earliest known manufactured mirrors (approximately 8000 years old) have been found in Anatolia (south central modern-day Turkey). These were made from obsidian (volcanic glass), had a convex surface and remarkably good optical quality. Mirrors from more recent periods have been found both in Egypt and Mesopotamia and still later in China and in the New World. In each of these areas, mirrors were in use by approximately 2000 BC or 4000 years ago."
This is powerful! Can you tell me more about it?
Of course, I love this mirror. This is a piece called, "Iago's Mirror" by Fred Wilson. It is is based on traditional 18th-century mirror designs and uses a material called "Murano glass" which is a type of glass that originated in Venice, on the island of Murano. Wilson was inspired by the tradition of the Venetian glassmakers and by the fact that there was a significant black African presence in Venice during in the Renaissance. Most of the glass would be silvered however, Wilson has altered the tradition by painting the glass black instead of silvering it. Wilson's works often challenge persistent museum display techniques that are used to differentiate between the hierarchies of "art" and "artifact."
Awesome!! Thanks for that :)
You're welcome! We have another amazing Fred Wilson piece on the 4th floor in the new contemporary art exhibition. I recommend checking it out if you like his work.
This is gorgeous and I read it was influenced by the artist's desire to depict racism. Can you explain that a bit?
Yes, the craftsmanship on that piece is amazing. Wilson made this work on the island of Murano near Venice, Italy, which has a centuries-long glassmaking tradition. He was able to collaborate with master glassmakers and it was made in layers. The layers were painted black and they were placed on top of one another. It was inspired by 18th-century mirror designs, some of them similar to the other, older mirrors on this wall!
And, the connection to racism and the title coming from Othello is powerful. Fred Wilson has said: "For Othello, largeness, beauty, and power together form a double-edged sword. People are afraid of power but Iago’s jealousy was so huge that he got around his own fear and destroyed Othello from the inside out. That is what Iago's Mirror is about: this is Iago looking at himself as Othello; love and hate mixed with his own jealous ego."
Wow!
Yes! Fred Wilson often appropriates art objects to explore issues of race, gender, class, politics, and aesthetics. If you want to see more, we currently have another piece of his up in our Contemporary Galleries. Made up of five portrait heads of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, it is called "Grey Area (Brown Version)" and refers to one of the most copied works of ancient civilization.
This is so opulent! I want it in my house. But I couldn't do my makeup in it.
Yes, it's definitely a "non-functional" mirror -- unlike the others on that wall! The artist, Fred Wilson, was inspired by the tradition of the Venetian glassmaking and by the fact that there was a significant black African presence in Venice during in the Renaissance. Much of his art addresses issues of identity and race. Does the title, "Iago's Mirror," suggest anything to you?
Wow! That's so interesting! Iago was the bad guy in Othello right? I'm thinking Shakespeare...
Yes indeed! He's the villain in Shakespeare's tragedy. Whereas Othello is the tragic hero and called "The Moor," referring to his blackness. Wilson has frequently used black glass to represent Africa and “blackness” in his work. Also it's just a remarkable object, like you said so ornate and well-constructed.
I think this quote from the artist is intriguing: "For Othello, largeness, beauty, and power together form a double-edged sword. People are afraid of power, but Iago’s jealousy was so huge that he got around his own fear and destroyed Othello from the inside out. That is what 'Iago's Mirror' is about: this is Iago looking at himself as Othello; love and hate mixed with his own jealous ego."
Which suggests jealousy still. You study your enemies and learn all of their ins and outs. All the things that disgust you but draw you to them at the same time.
Yes! Complicated but true.
I'll have to look him up when I get home tonight, thanks.
Definitely look into Fred Wilson if you're curious! Another fact about him: he worked as a museum educator earlier in his career, and he thinks a lot about the way we view art in museums and how the art "speaks" to us in museum settings -- and about who/what is represented in museums, and who/what is *not* represented. Oh! And we have another work by Wilson on display right now, on the 4th floor in "I See Myself in You."
Headed up there now, awesome!
Excellent!
