Amazing mirror images

The Rorschach test is the most widely used projective psychological test, designed to assess and identify personality structures. But while photographer Traci Griffin’s brilliant new series titled “Mirrors” bears some resemblance to an inkblot test, her aim is entirely different — namely, to show that exact symmetry cannot be found in nature.

Starting from this vantage point, Griffin spent nearly four years photographing branches, trees, fields, and even human hair to create these haunting images. By photographing natural objects and then splicing them together, the perfectly symmetrical effect — appearing elevated in mid-air — juxtaposes the steady predictability of symmetry with the jarring, off-kilter sense of suspension.

Perhaps the closest Rorschach resemblance in Traci Griffin’s work is simply this: viewers of the images will see what they want to see in each shot. Some will find the series calming; others will find it unsettling. But in the end, it’s largely the opportunity for personal interpretation that successfully raises the work to art.

Do you find these images calming or disturbing? Do you use symmetry in your own work? Let us know in the comments.

Stacey Kole

Stacey Kole is a freelance writer and former magazine editor. When she’s not crafting copy or chasing after her two little boys, Stacey can be found drinking coffee, tea, or anything else with caffeine. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.