"What if a mirror wasn’t interested in telling you the truth?
That question lies at the heart of Reflection: Between Surface and Self, a new exhibition opening this Friday, July 17, at Lilienthal Gallery. Featuring work by Jimmy O’Neal and Martin C. Herbst, the exhibition explores what happens when mirrors intentionally deceive, bending and refracting both the artwork and the viewer.
I stopped by yesterday to preview the exhibition and chat with Gallery Director Kelly Ferguson. The show began making its point before our conversation even started, as I struggled to disentangle my own reflection from the art I was attempting to photograph.
“Both artists are really interested in bringing the viewer into the artwork,” said Ferguson. “When you think of a mirror, it’s reflecting your own image back. In these works, whatever color your shirt is, your face, the light in the room—it’s all now inextricably part of the piece.”"
— Leslie Bateman, Inside of Knoxville