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The Mirror by Anita Clearfield on Zatista.com

In my last post, I talked about the different ways artists make use of shadows in their work, many examples of which could be found on a quick tour of the offerings of original art right here on Zatista. I found the same was true with artwork featuring mirrors – another way artists add depth and interest to a composition.

Still Life With Three Lemons and a Mirror by Lena Levin on Zatista.com

Mirrors are similar to shadows in that they extend or double the subject of a painting or photograph, providing an alternate or expanded reality. They can make an otherwise solitary figure less lonely because they at least have the company of their own reflection. Inanimate objects can seem more three dimensional, even more human when a mirror is present.

A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Edouard Manet on Wikipedia.org

One of the most famous and controversial uses of mirrors in art is the 1882 painting by French Impressionist Edouard Manet in which a woman seems to be standing in front of her own reflection in a mirror behind a bar.  Critics have long debated whether this is actually a reflection or if there is simply another woman behind her facing in the opposite direction. Look carefully at the details. What do you think? Cast your vote in the comments section below. Whatever your opinion, it remains a compelling and beautiful painting.

Window Light by Blake Fisher on Zatista.com

Having a mirror nearby can add both intimacy and distortion to an image. We behave differently when we are alone with a mirror, perhaps dropping our guard and revealing our true selves. But mirrors are also in a sense optical illusions and can never present a fully accurate version of reality.

Spring Mirrored by Shawn Nelson Dahstrom on Zatista.com

Whether in polished glass or on the calm surface of water on a clear spring day, mirrored reflections will always be an appealing element in an artwork, drawing us in the way they do in our daily lives. Who can resist a mirror?

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

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Night Shadows by Edward Hopper on whitney.org

It’s been said that in art what isn’t there is sometimes just as important as what is. There is something about things unclear, hidden, or absent that captures our attention. When faced with such mysteries, we naturally want to solve the riddle, finish the story, fill in the blank. Perhaps this is why so many artists use shadows in their work to draw us in.

Wave in the Sand by Doug Hockman on Zatista.com

Whether they are attached to figures or landscapes, the presence of a cast shadow in a composition can create many effects. Shadows can add both visual contrast and emotional depth to a two dimensional image. Along with a mastery of perspective, accurate and effective use of cast shadows is considered a milestone in the history of art.

April Shadows by Nikolai Kraneis on Zatista.com

With varying colors and length, shadows can suggest specific hours of the day or different seasons, and instantly take us to a familiar place and time. As they reach across a scene they can give a sense of human mortality or human longing, even when – perhaps especially when – human beings are not present.

Wandering Washington by Jennifer Childs on Zatista.com

Shadows cast by something not visible in the frame of the photograph or painting can be particularly haunting, implying a world continuing beyond the confines of the artwork and of our own grasp, but inviting us to use our imaginations to supply what’s missing.

Seeing Double by Katya Belilovsky on Zatista.com

At one time or another we have all played with our own shadows, but shadows can also play with us, challenging our perceptions, presenting a world of opposites and parallels, where everything has its dark twin, and who can tell which is real and which is the reflection? Without shadows, our world would not be nearly as interesting. The next time you are browsing for original art on Zatista look for the shadows!

Brian Sylvester is a guest blogger on WallSpin, and an artist on Zatista.

In the midst of busy days and enjoying (or even trying to fit in) lunch, we often miss the passing of the noon hour. Catch it right, though, and you have a moment worth noticing. The light is flat, flat, flat, but somewhere in the starkness or lurking in the shadows there is something that catches the eye of some artists.

High Noon, Mexico by Jan Pieter Van Voorst Van Beest on Zatista.com

You can literally feel the heat in this photo, in fact, I’m feeling a little jealous of this gentleman’s hat. Where was that cantina again? I could use a taco al pastor and a cold Pacifico, STAT. Oh wait, I’m still in my office in Maine? Darn.

Singularity Afternoon on Malheur Lake, Oregon by Michael Axel on Zatista.com

The thing about the light at noon is that there are no shadows. That’s a pretty obvious thing to point out, but have you ever really thought about it? It can make barren landscapes look downright lunar. Some cultures throughout time believed that a person’s shadow is their soul. So then what’s going on at lunchtime?

Afternoon by Yehan Wang on Zatista.com

Sometimes it’s what’s going on in the shade that gets really interesting. That high noon sun has a certain way of reflecting off the ground and illuminating things in a very unique way. You might not always notice it as you run for cover in the mid day sun, but that’s why we have artists — it’s their job to notice those things.

Stay tuned for the last installment of 24 Hours on Zatista, Part 3: Dusk