Historical harmony, Ipswich, Massachusetts, 2009, By Phil Douglis
A figure out of Ipswich history is painted on the side of this building, once used as a mill by General Electric. His head is arched, as if he is listening to voices from the past. Next to him, old window glass reflects a distorted view of another old building in the town. I honed down the image to just these two elements. Together they achieve a sense of historical harmony.
Reflections are ubiquitous. They can appear as images seen in mirrors, on glass, water, or any shiny, reflective surface. Reflections often alter reality, transforming it into the stuff of fantasy. Another form of reflection is when light is thrown back or bounced off its source to illuminate something else in an indirect, subtle way. We can use both forms of reflection to express ideas, and even transform reality into entirely new forms of expression. Reflected light and images often go unseen, taken for granted. We must train our eyes to notice them, recognizing their potential meaning, and then use them as another way of seeing.
