DUNCAN McKELLAR
Mirror Works
We all share one light, one warmth, one star.
The intensely powerful beauty of sunlight personally represents an ethereal force, the human spirit, hope, joy and life itself.
We all share the same light, the same warmth, the same star.
The universal nature of the sun gives it a unique potency as a symbol which is both awesome and sublime.
When combined with activism, this potency brings a serenity to politically charged events. The sun can literally shed light without bias or baggage.
Sunlight has no owner, spans borders, crosses oceans and is given free of charge without judgement or prejudice.
I hope that sunlight can provide a starting point to acknowledge other universal aspects of our shared existence.
Growing up in the U.K has nurtured within me a strong appreciation of the sun with little negative cultural influences from skin cancer warnings, droughts or forest fires.
A patch of sunlight on the wall of my childhood bedroom meant a day of adventure, a day of life as opposed to a day spent inside waiting for the rain to stop.
Optics
Childhood investigations into camera obscura, pinhole cameras and reflex mechanisms introduced me to mirrors and prisms. This began a lifelong, playful fascination with reflecting and projecting sunlight.
When combined with the power of the sun, the reflected light from a mirror is such that it can be seen over 50 miles away.
This simple combination of mirrors and sunlight enables huge images to be created across the landscape in light. This principle
has been utilised as a means of communication, navigation, ignition and mysticism for centuries.
Significant Pieces
I am in the process of developing this technique through a series of large-scale installations, interventions, gatherings and events. Where appropriate these artworks incorporate members of the public and often are activist in their nature.
Previous pieces involving mirrors and the public include an Artwork called Ray of Hope which involved a kilometre long line of people spanning the U.S/Mexican border. Each participant wore a mirrored mask which reflected the sun to create a 1000 metre line of dazzling light bisecting the border wall. This artwork was recorded by a drone and represents a show of community strength, unity and interdependency in the face of division.
Another significant mirror piece is called May Day and involved over 500 people with mirrors sending a symbolic SOS call across the English Channel to mainland Europe. (This piece took place on the 29th of March 2019 the day which Brexit was first meant to happen.) The event was located on the White Cliffs near Brighton, an area situated between Leave and Remain counties. Along with providing an outlet for residents to show their frustration and pain at leaving the E.U it provided an opportunity to present the alternative views of the 48% who’s voices have now been consigned to history and who’s message is no longer encouraged to be heard.
A third piece in this series called ONE involved an 80-metre circle of people with mirrors on the Northern Irish border in Killea Co. Donegal. This piece took place as a show of unity in the face of potential border disruption leading up to the second Brexit date. These issues unfortunately continue to this day.