Mirror Mirror at Butter Factory Arts Centre
The mirror hangs in the corner of our lives like a shadow. In the morning, it’s one of the first things we gaze into, searching our reflection in the hopes of finding something new or not finding anything at all. Often, what we see is never there in the first place.
Were mirrors ever capable of reflecting the truth? Perhaps the only image we ever receive is our own perception – skewed, fabricated and completely detached from how others perceive us.
Imagine if the mirror reflected our innermost selves – our passions, pain, vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies. Every facet of our identity. Would it frighten you? Give you comfort? Set you free?
Curating the upcoming exhibition at the Butter Factory Arts Centre, Assistant Coordinator Fiona Groom sought to answer those questions. She reached out to a collection of local female artists of all ages and disciplines, daring each one to look themselves in the eye and translate what they saw into an artwork of self-expression.
Mirror Mirror asks for two works: one ready-to-hang mirror with an interpretation of the artist’s reflection superimposed on the glass; and one painting with a mirror integrated into the dynamic of a scene, echoing enthralling works by Jan Van Eyck, Édouard Manet and Diego Velázquez.
“My aim was to bring women and their art into focus and use International Women’s Day as a springboard to inspire these artists to create work that tests their perceptions of who they are,” Fiona said. “I chose this group of female artists because I thought they could handle the brief and take on the challenge.
“They’re going to be pushing the boundaries of self-portraiture and in doing so, exposing their inner selves.”
Mirror Mirror showcases artistic talent from the emerging to the experienced, across 2D and 3D mediums.
Wunderkinds Jordyn Burnett and Casey Hewitt flex their flairs for digital illustration and figurative realism alongside industry greats such as multimedia installation artists Simone Eisler and Amanda Bennetts.
Prolific mixed-media artists including Jo Cook, Helen Lawson, Pam Miller, Laura Vecmane, Margie Gibson and Robyn Moon also offer their unique takes on self-portraiture.
They’re joined by realist collage artist Heather Lee Murphy; graphic realist Dale Leach; abstract painter and ceramicist Kay Wright; watercolour artist Libby Derham; oil painter Saren Dobkins and our spring cover artist; natural and figurative realist Sara Bell.
In a glaringly male-dominated industry, female artists have yet to be seen. While women have been earning their place on the gallery wall for centuries Fiona believes their artistic expression has been boxed into something sanitised, surface-level and acceptable for audiences.
Her exhibition gives women the opportunity to lay bare all the uncomfortable and uncompromising parts of themselves. The artworks will offer no apologies, whether they embrace traditional womanhood or tear away layers of femininity entirely.
“Womanhood, to me, is a front,” Fiona said. “I think we all put on a disguise, and we have this persona that says we are okay, we are happy with our bodies, with our lot in life and where we are.
“This exhibition will make people aware of our vulnerabilities and what we see when we look in the mirror.
“The mirror is going to be all-telling.
“We’re also asking the artists to leave some space so when people come and stand in front of the mirror and look at the reflection, they’re going to see themselves.”
Gazing into a glass transformed with painted, printed or sculpted art, the viewer might discover their own psyche reflected in this tangible expression of identity.
Unlike conventional self-portraiture, this exhibition unites the artist and the viewer in a shared experience of self-discovery.
As we confront, reveal and heal the buried parts of ourselves, the mirror will no longer reflect a mask. Instead, we will finally see the truth.
Mirror Mirror will be on show at the Butter Factory Arts Centre in Cooroy from 24 February until 26 March.
SUMMER WORKSHOPS
Animal Antics with Fiona Groom
Fiona Groom will guide the kids through the drawing and painting process to paint their favourite animal on a tile using underglazes. Tiles will be fired and available for collection before Christmas. Suitable for ages five-plus.
DATE: Tuesday 13 December
TIME: 10am-11am OR 12pm-1pm
COST: $35 per person
Monster Mayhem with Fiona Groom
In Session 1, create a monster using air dry clay, moulding, joining and blending with guidance. In Session 2, monsters will be dry enough to paint using acrylics and lots of crafty bits! Suitable for ages eight-plus.
DATES: Tuesday 3 and Friday 13 January
TIME: 10am – 1pm, both sessions
COST: $100 per person
Wheel Throwing 4-Session Course
Learn basic centring, pot throwing and finishing techniques, including how to turn a foot and traditional pulled handle. Then learn to consider surface design and glazing. Suitable for ages seven-plus.
DATES: 12, 13, 19, 20 December OR
9, 10, 16, 17 January
TIME: 9.30am – 11am
COST: $140 per person
Expand your inner creative selves, connect to your hands and sense of touch, exploring foundational construction techniques and sculptural concepts and developing hand building skills to create a variety of sculptural forms. All work will be fired and glazed. Suitable for ages seven-plus.
DATES: 12, 19 December & 9, 16 January
TIME: 12pm – 3pm
COST: $80 per person
Connect with your hands and sense of touch, expanding dexterity and your connection to your inner creative self. Each session will commence with a story, guiding inspiration while connecting to the wonderful tactile medium of clay. Suitable for ages five-plus.
DATE: 13, 20 December & 10, 17 January
TIME: 12pm – 1.30pm
COST: $50 per person
Painting Interiors with Shyanne Clarke
Create a domestic interior painting that shares a luminous narrative. This full-day workshop will cover fine art fundamentals of perspective, tone and colour as well as exploring your design style with dynamic brushstrokes in acrylic. Participants will create and take home a finished painting.
DATES: Saturday 4 February
TIME: 10am – 3pm
COST: $125 or $120 for BFF Members
