Vision, Reality and Objectivity:
Analyzing the Use of Mirrors and the Camera in Ilse Bing’s Self Portrait in Mirrors Throughout the centuries, a great number of artists have used self-portraiture, in the forms of paintings, photographs, sculptures, and other art forms, to display their artistic techniques and reflect their personal identities. In an effort to reveal their self-cognition and values of the world, artists employ supportive objects in addition to their figures as the very subjects of their works. Such artistic devices remarkably enrich the expression of their insights about the world and themselves. In her work Self-Portrait in Mirrors, American avant-garde
photographer Ilse Bing manipulated mirrors and a camera to present two different
perspectives of the same subject, which extend the perception of depth. Through alluding to an invisible mirror, she contrasts the outer appearance and inner essence. Furthermore, she emphasizes the significance of objectively judging oneself by incorporating her camera as a main element of the photograph.
On the desk are a ragged piece of white paper and a tiny slanted box, and looming in the background are a pale wall and a dark-colored curtain within billowing folds. The differences in image size, lighting, and content in the two images indicate the different viewing angles through which the subject of the photograph is portrayed. Furthermore, it conjures into view the entire space of the room and proves the existence of another side of reality beyond what is really visible. The accord between the “entity” and its reflection adds dimension and depth to the whole photograph. It also enlarges the viewer’s scope of vision enabling the image to expand beyond the frame, weaving a sense of infiniteness into the traditional confines of the photography.
Moreover, as the use of the plural in the title hints, more than one mirror has been used for this picture. The most exquisite aspect of the layout of this work is the existence of another “invisible” mirror that Bing is facing at the time of taking this photograph. This invisible mirror subtly turns the former “real image” of the artist into an illusory reflection and triggers the spectator’s contemplation of the complex relationship between image of the outer appearance and the true inner nature of a being. This illustrates the uncertainty and unreliability of the so-called “reality” people perceive through their senses. Just as people may mistake the figure at the right side of the photo as the real image of Bing herself, the physical world also has the possibility of being a mere reflection.
identities: the figure of the photo and the creator of this work. In the left side reflection, the camera appears to be the photographer’s sole focus, delineating Bing as a calm observer who is critically evaluating a figure. On the right, looking past the camera to the viewer, she appears to be a passive character whose image is merely being observed. Through this separation of identities, Bing is able to judge herself in a bystander’s eyes, and this portrait becomes not only her subjective self-expression but also her objective self-examination. In this way, Bing reminds the audience of the possibility that their self-recognitions may be biased and limited due to subjective consciousness and demonstrates the importance of profound self-introspection in an objective and critical view.
