Hurvin Anderson
Somerset Satin 300gsm
(91.1 x 72.4 cm)
In Mirror: Don't Look Back, Anderson presents ten different adaptations of a single composition: a circle hanging slightly below center on a gray flower-patterned background. This collographic floral motif appears in each print, varying in shade and line weight. The imagery within the circle changes more drastically throughout the portfolio – in one print, the "mirror" seems to clarify its surroundings; the circle features a sharper, more intelligible floral pattern. In another, the mirror has a transformative effect, with the luminosity of gold leaf contrasting with the relatively dull backdrop. Still others obscure the pattern, encircling them, appearing as hazy orbs that Anderson has imbued with an almost otherworldly mystique.
Through repetition and subtle variation, the portfolio continues to develop themes common to Anderson's work, such as the intersections of place and memory and familiarity and estrangement. Similar to his suite of paintings Peter's Series which was the subject of critically acclaimed exhibitions at the Tate Britain, London, and the Studio Museum Harlem, New York, the images in Mirror: Don't Look Back fluctuate between abstraction and representation. Anderson employs a seemingly reticent geometric composition and largely unsentimental color scheme, but the title and the wallpaper-like backgrounds invoke connections to personal, intimate moments in the home. The slight differences between the images further their elusive quality. It is unclear if the portfolio depicts ten mirrors that are alike, or if there is only one mirror that has been illuminated, obscured, and tarnished through the workings of time and memory.