The inspiration for my “Infinity Lamps” came in 1996 while browsing a hobby shop in Rapid City, South Dakota. I had just received my master’s degree in meteorology from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. In that shop I discovered a “mirror remover,” a chemical specifically formulated to remove, or desilver, the backing from mirrors.
My interest in photography and reflection led me to consider how light from behind a mirror, passing through a desilvered part, could be reflected back upon that mirror. It would require placing another mirror in front to reflect the light back onto the first mirror. The placement of that second mirror, however, would block the view of the first mirror.
My eureka moment came when I thought of placing a one-way mirror in front of the first mirror. The light passing through the desilvered parts would then be reflected back to the first mirror even as that reflection would also be visible to the viewer.
Using chemicals with a chisel, I started by designing and coloring simple desilvered shapes on the back of the first mirror. I then placed a light source behind that mirror and a one-way mirror in front. This illuminated the chiseled shapes and they could now be seen within the deep space of the reflections between the first mirror and the one-way mirror.
I am now using etching tools instead of chemicals, and experimenting with new designs, various mirror structures, and different kinds of illumination, such as LEDs with changing colors. I also continue to work as a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine.
Mark Bloomer Infinity Lamps 