Sarah Meyohas Reinterprets Smoke And Mirrors

‘Speculations’ is the vibrant series by New York-based visual artist Sarah Meyohas. The photo series captures the illusory effect of multiple mirrored installations adorned with various items such as flowers, rope, and smoke.

To create the installation, Meyohas placed two mirrors, one two-sided and one wall mounted, opposite each other facing inward so that their reflections appear endless. She then embellished the mirrors with rose petals, piles of daisies, pink material, or smoke, the result of which is an oddly transfixing portrait of nature that duplicates itself in infinite reflections. If you’re wondering how the photographs were taken without any visible reflection of the camera or of Meyohas herself, it’s because the artist used a photographic trick: crouching behind the two-way mirror to disappear into the folds of the reflection. Her camera captured the light bouncing back and forth between the two-way mirror and the real mirror, creating the illusion of her invisibility.

In an interview with Metal Magazine, the artist explains how this process ties in to the title of the series: “It’s a stasis, made of a constant exchange”, she says, and “a series of speculation relations that never find a definitive end”. So, the formation of value for Meyohas is likened to a reflection. “A three-dimensional object appraises itself as two-dimensions, as a commodity to a price” she continues. ‘Speculations’ is a literal and ironic take on the phrase ‘Smoke and mirrors’, where the viewer is drawn in by the reflections, colors, and textures.

All images © Sarah Meyohas