Mirror, mirrorRosslynd Piggott and Rudi Williams 
InterviewExhibited works

Interview:
Rosslynd Piggott and Rudi Williams 
In conversation with Sue Cramer


Melbourne, July 2024 

Reflections and Distortions



    • [Sue cramer]
Ros, the two adjacent panels in your work have differently reflective surfaces, each with its own mirroring and warping effect. Rudi, your photographs capture the reflections in Ros’s mirrors and yet visually take us somewhere else, into an indeterminate realm. Can you speak about themes of reflection and distortion in your work?

  • [Rosslynd Piggott]
Yes, I created each of the three Mirror, mirror works from 2008—2009, as dual mirrors. I was interested in the different qualities of unclear reflection. The palladium gilt canvas has a very dull reflective quality, like looking through fog—the viewer has to go close to the surface and still can only see a blurred self. The twin mirror is slumped and mirrored glass; it is a clearer yet warped reflection. The glass also holds oxygen bubbles and some engraved marks that appear like fractures. The two panels are positioned side by side in their tensioned differences, effectively holding a nuanced sense of time and space.



Rosslynd Piggott, Mirror, mirror no.3 2008-09. oil and palladium leaf on linen, slumped and mirrored glass, wood.


  • [RUDI WILLIAMS]
Reflections can distort an image and can symbolize an atmosphere, feeling, or recollection that is potent but not visible or discussed. I think the way light responds to mirrors and reflective surfaces can be a metaphor for how people reflect and respond to each other. 
  • I see my photographs of Ros’s Mirror, mirror I-III (2008-2009) as documents of her placement of these works over time. In my mind, photographing the images that I’ve witnessed reflected in the surfaces of Mirror, mirror I-III responds to Ros’s gesture of collecting air in her quiet but intentional work Collection of air 2.12.1992–28.2.1993 1992–1993. When captured by my photographs, the reflections in Ros’s Mirror, mirror works seem to occupy a surreal space between photo-reality and painting—but for me, they are still connected to threads of memory through time and history.





Rosslynd Piggott, Collection of Air 2.12. 1992- 28.2.1993. 1992-93 air, Hock Maple wood, glass, transparent synthetic polymer resin, satin, cork, cotton, sealing wax, cotton, ink on paper, keys, French viscose tassels. Cabinet construction David Poulton.