The Venus effect is a phenomenon in the psychology of perception named after various paintings of Venus gazing into a mirror (Titian's Venus with a Mirror, Vasari’s Toilet of Venus, Mary Cassatt’s Mother and Child.) The Viewer assumes that Venus is admiring her own reflection, but since the viewer sees her face in the mirror, Venus is actually looking at the reflection of the viewer. This phenomenon is explored in relationship to the psychological landscape of Los Angeles repeatedly through my work via painting, video and installation.