Francoise writes:
“Whose arm on mirror is that?
Its owner is quite happy though.
Full of joy like a vivid circle,
I watch her laugh. I cry hello.
She gives her arm on mirror a shake,
And laughs until her belly aches.
The only other sound’s the break,
Of distant waves and birds awake.
The arm on mirror is jolly, streamline and deep,
But she has promises to keep,
After cake and lots of sleep.
Sweet dreams come to her cheap.”
Drawings of bodies created with single-pixel lines have been an active area of Francoise Gamma’s work since the beginning. “Mirror Arm” is a stand-out work within the larger series. With two hands opening and closing as the mirrored arm rotates, it’s a short sequence of drawings that can be watched endlessly. According to Francoise, this GIF animation was made specifically to circulate on the web and to exist within that milieu.