Mirror By viewing ourselves, are we censoring ouselves? When we look in a mirror, what do we see?
additional images	video footage
When Naomi Wolfe published The Beauty Myth in 1990, she hoped to change woman’s thinking about how they perceive their body and, by association, self-image. Fourteen years later, the demand for plastic surgery is on the increase, as are the instances of anorexia in ever-younger girls and now, boys too. The cult of image is still alive and kicking in Britain. But maybe this modern ‘problem’ is not so new. The myth of The Little Mermaid in its original cruel version talks profoundly about self-image. The mermaid falls in love with the prince; someone different and so someone to be emulated. In order to find true love she pays the ultimate price; she becomes what she isn’t – a human. The cost is not only psychological, but also physical: she experiences extreme pain with every step she makes – as if she is walking on broken glass. Mirror is an interpretation of The Little Mermaid, creating a beautiful space out of brokenness. Video loops of the sea are sent from wall-mounted projectors to the broken mirror on the gallery floor, which in turn puts moving light back onto the walls. Underwater images reflect on the broken mirror and refract around the room. As the viewer it feels as if one is in a magical place. This sense of the mythical was as important to me as the messages held within the piece. It draws the viewer in, involves them in ‘somewhere else’ and allows them to make imaginative connections. Mirror was first showcased at Leeds Metropolitan University as part of their Testbed programme in July 2003. As a result of this, Pete Kelly, sound artist has produced a soundtrack to accompany the work, which was part of its next showing at the Ferens Gallery, Hull in June 2004.    I also provide educational workshops to accompany Walking on Glass to enable viewers to engage with the issues raised by the piece.