WITNESS

WITNESS

Mirrors 1 through 37

2022

Poplar, paint, plexi mirror, hardware

80H x 90W x 2D”

Reflect here. Gaze. Be present. Witness yourself in this moment. You are creating a ritual to which you can return, transforming any mirror into a place of powerful self-reflection.

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Mirrored-self misidentification, or ‘mirror sign’, is the delusion that one’s reflection in the mirror is another person. I only recently learned that this is a documented psychological condition, even though I have experienced it periodically throughout my life.

The first time I felt this bizarre sensation–that I can only relate to as a hallucination mixed with the rush of déja vu,–it frightened me. After a minute of staring at this stranger that I had seen a million times, the impression faded and I recognized myself as myself again. The second time it happened I understood that it wouldn’t last, and I was able to look at the person in the mirror as a different being, but with the understanding that it was in fact me. This became increasingly empowering each time I experienced it. In these moments I was able to reflect upon myself like a ghost, my soul was outside of my body.

I prefer to think of these moments as precognition or prophecy rather than a mental malfunction. Allowing me to see myself in the third person, they help me to realize that I have the power to reflect on who I am and respond independently of my self-identity and the biases and blind spots that accompany it.

I haven’t felt this sensation in several years, but I can now use the mirror as a tool. This object allows me space and time to see myself with fresh eyes. I invite you to use “Witness” as an instrument of renewed self-reflection.

-Morgan Hill

Photos by Loam