8.3.12

Beauty Transposed

I came across this little trick while looking through "Glamorous Rooms" by Jan Showers.
In the Outdoor Living section of her book, a perfect little courtyard is reflected in a convex mirror.

The idea hit me as rather nice. Of course I should have learned this just by looking at fabric or graphic design or simply branding - once you get a beautiful image you repeat it as often as possible. And how many times did Picasso draw a profile with two eyes? Not that I don't like Picasso, but until I saw this picture I forgot that a theme of beauty is most often a continuum of a repetition of forms on various scales and proportions. And if you want to double the pleasure of beautiful room or object, just put a mirror up to it and enjoy its reflection!  Of course, Narcissus was punished for this, but I don't find anything too wrong with it. And if people did it before electricity to reflect candlelight and get more bang for their blubber, then why not apply the same principle for aesthects? By the way, we only have one copy left so its 25% off now. I also appreciate how she savors the simplicity of design and that less is more.
"One of my favorite outdoor rooms is created by a border of hedges and a very simple floor of stone tiles set into the earth. Teak chairs and garden benches, along with iron-and-glass tables, sit out in the open, protected only by the branches of towering pecan trees.  Nearby, a bird feeder and birdbath. It is a picture of simplicity and comfort, and it serves perfectly as a vantage point from which to experience the outdoors, either alone or with others.
Amen Jan Showers!

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