Mirror Study (Q5A3505)
Maker
Sepuya, Paul Mpagi
American, b. 1982
Date2016
MediumInkjet print
Dimensionsimage: 32 ½ in x 21 ½ in; frame: 34 in x 23 in
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number2017:10
About the ArtistPaul Mpagi Sepuya is interested in the intimacy created during portrait sessions between the photographer and subject, and the performative nature of photographing and posing in a studio environment. Sepuya created this piece by tearing a photograph in half and taping it to a mirror’s surface. The artist then photographed himself in front of his obstructed reflection, with portions of his arms and tripod extending from the sides of the taped print. The result is a layered self-portrait of sorts, that withholds a connection to a gaze and instead plays with the power of suggestion.Paul Mpagi Sepuya has been included in numerous exhibitions worldwide and is held in the permanent collection of the Guggenheim Museum, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; and Milwaukee Museum of Art, among others.
