The Mirror and Lamp Show (2015)
An intiative of Suns and Stars
Plant-sculpture by Reinier Lagendijk and wooden sculpture bij Paul de Reus. (Photopraphs: Peter Cox).
In Spring 2015 I joined an exhibition at the historic country house Jagtlust. The house, the garden and the former inhabitants are imbued with the Romantic principles. The ideological values of the present owner, Natuurmonumenten, are also derived from Romanticism. The title of the exhibition refers to M.H. Abrams’ book about Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition. “Until the Romantic era, the mind was like a mirror, reflecting the real world. For the Romantics it was more like a lamp, the light of the artist’s inner soul poured out to illuminate the world”. Here lies the origin of the conflict caused by Romantic notions of authenticity and artistic genius.