Playing with Behaviors of Everyday Life: Mirror Activity

We did a performance activity today that the artist Allan Kaprow came up with. Two people stand back to back and hold mirrors so that they can see one another. You start walking away from each other but continue to hold the mirror so you can see your partner. In the mirror you make faces at each other and are supposed to mimic the other's facial expression. Allan Kaprow writes in his untitled essay "It cannot fail to delight him to stand at his mirror making faces, scowling, grinning, shedding tears, and making queer noises in quick succession." This statement and the activity we did today in class remind me of a behavior that my autistic girl I work with does to amuse herself. She can spend hours in front of a mirror making faces at herself, getting tears in her eyes and pretending to cry, smiling, frowning, and making silly noises, all for pleasure and a way to amuse herself. It is interesting to relate this piece from my everyday life to what we read and did in the activity, and to even consider that how we can apply silly behaviors in front of the mirror as an art.