Artist Graeme Messer: ‘Seeing yourself in each of these mirrors you become the performer and the viewer at the same time’

THE new exhibition at the Lights of Soho gallery is all about “honesty”, artist Graeme Messer tells Diary.

His new body of work features 20 mirrors, which make the viewer a part of the artwork – “a participant in the show” – encouraging them to look at themselves in a new way.

“My work has always been self-reflective and autobiographical so it seemed like the next logical step to start working with mirrors,” he said.

“Seeing yourself in each of these mirrors you become the performer and the viewer at the same time. By using illuminated text in the mirrors I suggest the thoughts that may go through your head as you look at yourself.

“These are often intimate and personal thoughts that you wouldn’t usually share with anyone else.”

Slogans such as “Grab life By the Balls” and “Maybe it’s okay just to be me” adorn the mirrors.

The exhibition explores the difference between our true selves, and the polished image many of us project on social media. Mr Messer says, personally, he has a “love-hate relationship” with Twitter, Facebook, and others. “There are fantastic aspects of social media, the way it connects so many millions of people across such vast distances is a wonderful thing.”

But it is something which both connects and disconnects us, he said.

• I Love this Motherf***er is on display at the Lights of Soho gallery in Brewer Street until November 26.