Project 4: Found object

I had the hardest time with the concepts with both this one and Project 5. I truly did not know how to connect a found object with the theme of Introspection.
Initially, I got hung up on the idea that since I had to use a found object, then I might as well use something nostalgic. And from there just explore the feeling of nostalgia and how it affects our identities. I had thought of screen printing on my old Nintendo DS. And illustrating how when we are nostalgic toward an object, we kind of repaint it in our minds, to us they are just as pristine as the day we first held them. My sketch is to the right. But this would be far too difficult to print on given it's size, and also I would've essentially been decorating my DS. My concept wasn't deep enough.

It was then that I had the idea to print on a mirror and explore self-reflection and identity. How we view ourselves, greatly affects who we are and consequentially how we interact with the world. What better object than a mirror to do this? My first mirror did not go as planned. I chose a larger barber's mirror; it had a white rim and handle, emphasizing that this is a personal mirror for one person. When it came time for the screen printing, the rim caused a problem: I couldn't get the entire design on the mirror. So I tried to pop out the mirror from the rim, and it broke...😞 . I had to go search for another mirror, one with a completely flat surface for me to print on. Ultimately I had to go to Home Depot to get mirror panes, and possibly get it cut there. Much to my surprise, they don't have glass cutting services anymore, which means I had to purchase my own glass cutting kit and do it myself. I took all the safety precautions, and after one messed up pane, and some painters tape to protect the edges. I had my mirror. and the result was this:

When you look in your mirror, who do you see? What do you think of them? What do you want to see? These are the questions that A Look in Your Mirror is asking. It is quite literally asking the viewer to fill in the blanks about the person they see in their reflection. The text ,“I see a _____person who is ______, as well as _________, __________, and _________. I am ___________.”, is screen printed on a mirrors surface, blocking the viewers vison of themselves. Or rather it is blocking their true reflection. This is a commentary on how people’s self-image does not always match with reality. People often “fill in the blanks” with what they want to see from themselves. Additionally, there is the open silhouette of a person in the center of the mirror, which will prompt the viewer to try to fit themselves into the general shape of a person, altering themselves to fit what they want to see, as opposed to who they actually are.