Ice Follies 2004

Keith Campbell, Through the Looking Glass, 2004

Materials: Glass and plywood on runners

Through the Looking Glass is Keith Campbell’s crystalline work of art. Made completely of mirrors, this work is all about reflecting back, in a kaleidoscopic way, the beautiful landscape of Lake Nipissing.

The creation is always in flux as it continually changes depending on what it is reflecting, integrating the visitor within the art piece itself. In it we see our projections and reflections, by the pitch of the mirrors, there is a synthesis happening, a becoming one with the work. With this, he establishes an unstable dynamic where everything shifts and distorts each time we take a step, we cannot determine anything absolutely.

His could stand for the prismatic life underwater, with its brilliant surface and obscure core. Since it is not possible to get inside, we are constrained by our imagination. It is beautiful and wondrous. The material — mirrors — compositionally reference the site, specifically the ice and water beneath. It gives one reason to pause to reflect on what is the “real” reality — that which is around one or the one reflected back. In a certain sense, it was somewhat disconcerting how the piece integrated itself so completely within its surrounding landscape.

Artist Bio:

Keith Campbell, a North Bay native, is a multi-faceted artist who works in a variety of media. He has exhibited his works in over 250 exhibitions winning over 40 awards/honours. His work is included in numerous collections including R.O.M. and the National Museum on Civilization. Keith has also worked as a professor and artist in residence at Canadore College, North Bay, ON.