Exhibition Review

Exhibition Review

Photography Exhibition Review: Ryan McGinley’s “Mirror, Mirror”. 

Team Gallery at 83 Grand Street, New York, NY. 

            In review of the recent photography exhibition at Team Gallery, photographer Ryan McGinley presents his work, “Mirror, Mirror”, in an attempt to showcase a project involving mirrors, and the self. His subjects include people, ranging in ages 19 to 87, each who portrayed a wide range of skin tones and shapes. According to the press release, the subjects were given a set of mirrors, rolls of 35 mm film, a point and shoot camera, and a set of instructions to take the self-portraits. Ryan McGinley himself did not shoot the photos, but he chose which images to include as a representation of a greater underlying meaning for a more instructional project. 

The gallery venue was located in downtown East Village, in a small studio space called Team Gallery. He presented around 20 different photographs, self-portraits to be exact, and each taken with a 35mm film camera. These were presented on canvas, of 27 x 40 inches. In an a very minimalist fashion, the focus of the exhibit was strictly the images. The photographs were presented in rows and columns on three of the four surrounding walls in the studio. No descriptions, no titles– just the images. There did not seem to be any distinguishable reason for the placement/grouping of each photograph (per wall), though the featured photos were located on the back wall of the room. 

As a group, the subject matter of the photographs consisted of individuals, one or more mirrors, and the film camera, though the background of each photo was different. The content what was shown in the mirror was determined by the individual themselves. Much like the subject matter, the form of each photograph depended entirely on the individual. Some used only one mirror, others used multiples. Other photos had more than one person in them. The interiors of the project also stood out to me and distinguished one from another. The photos were very intimate, personal, and almost invasive (in the best way possible). It was like looking into that person’s life– their apartment, their meaningful possessions, etc. 

Though taken by different people, the overall style of the photographs was much the same. This could be a direct result of Ryan McGinley choosing the photos himself. Due to the restriction in composition of the photograph, the individuality of each person shined through, but kept most of the “content” the same– the person in their bedroom with a mirror, naked. The internal context of each photo was very intimate. In order to fully understand the meaning of this project, I had to look at the press release, as well as the website for the exhibit. The overall goal of this project was to promote body positivity, as mirrors sometimes do not. It also implied how image culture influences how we see ourselves and the world. The instructional aspect of the prompts also allowed creative playfulness and interpretation. 

A particular image from the show did, in fact, stand out to me. The image was entitled “Carlotta, 2018”. It was of model Carlotta Kohl, who, like the rest was sat in her apartment. However, her choice in the use of the mirror was unlike the rest of them. Instead of showing her reflection, she positioned the mirror away from her, using another mirror to capture her body on the bed. The reflection did not show her, but the remainder of her bedroom, like an open vessel. It covered her stomach, and her body was “halved”, or separated. It was different, not seeing a reflection of a person in the mirror. I did not necessarily feel a personal connection with the image, just noticed that it was quite different than the rest.

In response to the exhibition, my overall feelings towards the photographer, Ryan McGinley, is positive. I had been following his work for the past two years, though I had never been to one of his shows nor have I read external information on him or his work before. This assignment allowed me to critically analyze the work of a photographer in a real gallery setting. I like the aspect of using mirrors in photographs, because for me, it allows the viewer to almost see a greater depth than what is actually present.  

References

http://famedriver.com, Fame Driver. “Mirror, Mirror.” Ryan McGinley : Mirror, Mirror, Team 
(Gallery Inc.), 2018, www.teamgal.com/exhibitions/391/mirror_mirror.