Though it does not resemble a traditional mirror, the Angles Mirror is reflecting you in its own way. The art piece by Daniel Rozin mimics the person looking at the mirror not by visual imitation, but a reflection that responds to the viewer’s body movement. Outfitted with a camera and 465 plastic spokes, the Angles Mirror copies the silhouette of the person in front of it to form a shape in the sea of straight dashes. Similarly, the spokes can also move to form patterns and designs depending on how close the viewer is to the sculpture, making the experience fully interacting from the moment viewers step up to the piece to when they walk away.
“The Angles Mirror rejects the idea of building a picture based on relative lightness and darkness. Instead, it explores a system of linear rotation that indicates the direction of an object’s contour,” bitforms gallery, which currently hosts Rozin’s work, describes. “Based on the isometric grid, its structure favors the patterns and angles found in an equilateral triangle… The negative space surrounding a viewer is translated into horizontal lines on the picture plane. Rather than creating a photorealistic image, the three-dimensional movement of a figure is represented, visualizing optical flow as viewer’s proximity to the sculpture changes.”
The Angles Mirror runs on tiny motors and lens to accurately detect the viewers. It may not be your typical idea of a “mirror,” but it sure is trippy to look at. If you happen to be in the New York City area this weekend, be sure to stop by the bitforms gallery to see the work before it gets taken down this Saturday, April 6.
