There is currently a call for entries open to Uruguayan and international artists to submit our own full mask creations to an exhibition later this year, and I blithely agreed to make one and enter. However, as I don’t think I’ve ever made a mask, this will be something of a learning-by-doing-challenge! I’m currently researching ways to do this, and now I think I should just start – entries close July 10th.
Of course, a mask placed over a face of a living person either renders that person unidentifiable, or, as has been used in theatrical and musical performances since early Greek times, a mask can symbollise a character known to the audience, or its expression can convey to the audience how the performers want /need the onlookers to react to that character. Masks are found in most indigenous society rituals as essential props to the performances through which a non-literate society orally hands down the values and history of their society from one generation to the next.
Something in my mind repeatedly returns to some sinister sueded leather I once bought in a crazy moment – perhaps it needs dripping blood and big sharp teeth ? (what on earth is trying to emerge here?!!! ) Shakespeare’s character Hamlet, declared in the play of the same name, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so?” and when you put on a mask you will be perceived as whatever character you want it to be – goodie or baddie. In a previous post, I showed pics of some of my favourites
A couple of days ago I began some serious researching into how to make masks – I found a couple of demos on YouTube that appealed, and now I can’t find either of them 🙂 but I remember enough to get started and if necessary will improvise as I go along. One was pressing some metallic mesh over my facial contours and attaching all the decoration to that, but I’m wondering if that would that hold its shape really well – the mesh would need to be fairly study. Another one was using a cardboard rectangle and putting notches in it to make ‘tucks’ around the edge, and yes I have cardboard packaging I could use, also plenty of old xrays I salvaged a while ago in a cleanout. In either, I’ll cut eye and nose holes, adding a bit of a flap over the nose one, so now I think I have enough info on how to make one.
The brownish stuff in the photo above is actually a darker grey/light black leather which I can only describe as ‘damaged sueded leather’ since I don’t know how it was produced, and I’m not even sure where it came from. The surface intrigues me and could lead to something rather nasty, of the “Creature from the black lagoon” kind of theme. Over it I’ve draped some of about 3m of a chain of little glittery stars each about 1cm diameter that it seemed a good idea to buy years ago, somewhere… I also have gold lame and plenty of other glittery stuff, including glass beads, so I’ll decide on all this and make a start sometime very soon.
This should be a fun project to watch you create! From dark and savage images to glittery gold stars…….AND a time limit. The challenge is on!