Multiple artists left unforgettable imprints in human history through their artworks around the globe. The various phenomena, themes, and concepts are depicted through such works (Jacob & Mary Jane). This writing also focuses on a fabulous image with various dimensions of meaning and concepts. This paper will explore the basic biographical features and overall depiction of this image in alliance with the research-based comparison of the same image with another artwork of the same artist adorned with analysis features.
Mirror of Water
Biography & Basic Information:
The image under consideration was created in the time span of 1996-1998, as stated by Myarticles. The overall situation of this period relates to the end of the Cold War, and the world was preparing towards a single-power ambiguity. In other words, the confusion and hesitant phase in world affairs were dominated when Mariko Mori created this masterpiece. She is a renowned multidisciplinary artist for her matchless works around the globe, and her origins are in Japan. She is well-versed in her photographs and videography (Weilandt & Joerdis). Her works mainly depict and explore technology themes embedded with spirituality. Most of her early works revolve around Japanese culture and ancient history, enveloped with a futuristic and spiritual sense.
However, the “Mirror of Water” was photographed in a cave located in France. It is a representation through the water of a time span of millions. The image suggests continuity of life with multiple phases by using the artist’s image in multiple places. The Mirror of Water is the most outstanding artwork with a mixture of multiple features.
Formal Analysis of Image:
The image contains consistent and continuous visual aspects that are interconnected like multiple branches. In this context, the artist has utilized her portrait in a repeated pattern. Multiple grim and solid colours of dense seriousness are shown in the image with multiple shades of water layers. The shadow techniques with duplexed and triplex portraits of the artist are meaningfully placed at various image points. Meanwhile, the entrance and exit points of the cave are undefined in the image. The cave depicts this world where the entrance and exit are not defined and not based on a person’s will. Multiple pictorial representations of the portrait show the continuity of life phases, including birth, death and rebirth, with a futuristic theme.
Moreover, the photograph is a combination of multiple colours along with the features of every minute to vast canvas and deeply thought-provoking. The colour combination depicts the earthly environment during the initial phases of natural harmony, along with the white-dressed human being. The white-dressed creature shows a deep sense of the spirit world of those lands on the earth, with piousness and innocence as her primary characteristics. The dynamic and static water, along with the duplex, a triple face of human spirits, are shown with the ups and downs positions. These high or low positions are, in fact, depictions of human life with multiple circumstances with low and high morals or maybe status in society or, in a more profound sense, depict the spiritual voyage of spirits according to their piousness and performance on this soil-filled earth.
Research about the Meaning of the Image:
This endless cycle and phases are not under the control of human beings, and the same is represented in the picture. Similarly, duplex and triplex images may manifest more than one theme at a time. Along with the life phases in a specific context, the picture portrays the variation in life on this earth. Human life advances on this earth with multiple time spans and many duties to be performed. Naturally, it is the uniqueness of the human life cycle that a man represents himself as more than one entity at a time. For example, at one stance, one is decorated with relations, and at the same time, he has to perform various duties and claim multiple rights with all the other objects of nature in alliance with human beings. In other words, human beings have multiple facets simultaneously during this life cycle on this earth. The same is depicted in the picture with multiple faces at some points in the cave, i.e., the life of this earth where entrance and exit are out of control on the human side. In a nutshell, the elements of the photographic work describe the life cycle of human beings on this earth with multiple facets of performance and futuristic paradigms.
Moreover, various social, cultural and historical aspect and their respective impacts are shown in the picture. Historically, it depicts the origin of life on earth in ancient times in alliance with the social life with multiple status quos. Their impacts are out of bounds of time. For example, the rise of humanity is shown as the scientific and technological development with the passage of time concerning the high and low position of the portrait throughout the photograph.
Comparative Analysis & Conclusion:
As far as the comparative analysis is concerned, another pretty work is chosen, “Empty Dream”. There are several similarities and differences between these two photographs. Both depict watery images in a combination of earthly scenes and pictorial representations of human beings. In addition, prosperity is shown with the passage of time adorned with freedom of movement.
Empty Dream
Contrary to these, they are dissimilar in various aspects. The “Empty Dream” represents a bluish colour depicting the sky while the mirror of water goes on as an earth image, both showing heavens-touched and earth life, respectively. In the “Mirror of Water,” the portrait has multiple group pictures in a sequence of the same portrait, while “Empty Dream” does not follow such a pattern. In crux, we can say that Mariko Mori’s artwork is fabulous and depicts multiple dimensions of life aspects cyclically and spiritually.
Work Cited
Jacob, Mary Jane. Dewey for artists. University of Chicago Press, 2018.
Weilandt, Joerdis. “Mariko Mori.” Women in the World Today. Comparative Studies-Canada and Japan (2021).
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