The concept of "Formal Couples" originally occurred in 1973 from witnessing the happenstance of a dark glazed image in a gallery exhibition being used as a mirror to arrange the viewer's hair while reflecting the viewer's own image into the artwork. This situation/ artist's frustration lead to the idea of using "art reflects life" and "image as environment" as a starting point. The 1994 series, "Reflections and Revisitations" created a gallery installation where with this effect, the viewer is in the artwork and benefits from it regardless of their true social position.
Using the illusion which is in art to give us the reflection of ourselves we wish to see.

Bruce Richards Formal Couples/ 1994 oil and watercolor on paper
Mark Moore exhibit (I)/ 1994
oil and watercolor on paper

The images reflect into one another but are activated when a viewer is in front of them.
Formal Couples/ 1994