“Literally three dimensional” is how artist David Breuer-Weil describes Reflection Soho. This sculpture stands as a new permanent monument for Soho, right here on Dean Street. Reflection is more than just a sculpture. It’s an invitation.
Pause for a moment and contemplate this artwork. What do you see? The artist encourages self-reflection through this piece. It is a symbol of Soho, honoring its rich cultural heritage. It also pays homage to influential personalities who once inhabited this vibrant district.
Installed in 2023, Reflection Soho features two life-size bronze figures connected by the feet. They emulate a reflection, one upright and the other upside down. Breuer-Weil drew inspiration from the School of London artists. These artists frequented the famed Colony Room on Dean Street.
The bronze surface is highly textured with inscriptions and pictograms. These are said to represent prior habitués of Soho. Mozart, Francis Bacon, Elton John, and Diana Rigg are among them. Even Anya Taylor-Joy is supposedly represented. Can you spot them?
Reflection was cast in bronze by the Morris Singer Foundry. Initially, it was meant to be freestanding on the pavement. It would have been much more noticeable. However, the council moved it to the side of the building. They had concerns about impeding pedestrians. Its current location makes it practically invisible to some.
The sculpture refers to the cultural figures associated with the Soho area. These figures have given it a creative and bohemian appeal. Breuer-Weil says Reflection Soho is an image of one person reflected in another. It is a literal reflection.
The artist is very engaged with the subject of reflection. He says visual reflections are usually an illusion of light. But in this bronze for Soho, he has made the reflection literally three dimensional. It is a very simple idea. One figure upright and the other upside down. The illusory becomes physical.
However, it has very complex detailed surfaces. Raw, shattered panes cast in bronze with graffiti and pictograms. The sculpture is deliberately installed near a vast pane of glass. There it is reflected together with the skies above and the buildings of Dean Street.
Breuer-Weil has explored the theme of reflection in other works. His work Sister also deals with reflection but in a deliberately antithetical manner to Soho Reflection.
Reflection Soho stands as an ongoing testament to the artist’s inimitable vision. It also shows his support for the historic and important artistic milieu of Soho. Take a final look at Reflection. Consider its message and its place in this vibrant neighborhood. It is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.