'Mirror-like Marble' is a walk-by photographic exhibition displayed in March 2022 at Derby Cathedral's visitor centre. The works in this series explore the illusory characteristics of baroque art and architecture and the spatial and material qualities of the photographic print. These works are not concerned specifically with the 17th century baroque; its history, geography or artistry, but rather with its traits, character and ability to blur the boundaries between materials and art forms. Illusory space was a key characteristic of the baroque style. The use of mirrors, frames, ceiling paintings and trompe l'oeil techniques allowed for a repetition and a doubling of a physical reality as well as an overall unity between architecture, sculpture and painting. Philosopher Gilles Deleuze wrote of the baroque as a material “force”; as “matter” that “tends to flow out of the frame” (Deleuze, 2006:141).
In baroque sculpture, the solid rock form of marble is also imbued with a sense of movement and dynamism. Similarly, in these works, marble is rendered pliable, transformable and movable by the photographic paper-print, and in baroque fashion, the lines between photography, sculpture and architecture are tested.
A special thank you to the University of Derby and Derby Cathedral for their generosity and support. This exhibition was funded by the University of Derby’s Early Career Researchers Development Fund.
