mask 3 Miray

Hiding one's senses - Stella 

When I think about the masks I made, it seemed to me that they all hide one or more senses in some way. During the shootings it also turned out that actually all of our facial senses seem important for conveying emotional reactions and attitudes. Is it possible that identity is connected to our senses? Is is that what gives masks the power to deform and cover identities by covering sensual parts that are essential for the unique emotional reaction repertoire of a person?

Mask 1.0 - Jewelery-mask.

For this mask I made a septum to make something that in the first place has a bad connotation.

Inspired by our current COVID-19 situation I wanted to create a breathing mask that is more than functional. In Asia, many clothing brands are already designing face masks that were originally invented for protection and now have a style factor in their campaigns. This mask is made from cotton wool and is therefore washable. Even if it has not the functional abilities to filter the air one is breathing, it directs the attention to the fashionable side of breathing masks. 

  

This first photos you have seen already. It were first try outs where I try to combine the tribal look of the mask with plants and colors. The photos are all taken inside which contradict the functional feature of filtering contaminated oxygen. 

In a second shoot in the botanical garden I tried to create a more logical environment. I explored with lights and colors and how this affect the atmosphere in the photo. 

This photo creates a hot weather, desert-feeling what I really like. I am interested in how the organic form of the plant in the background plays with the halfmoons that drop from the mask and the blue strings hanging on her body. I like the light and the composition, how she disappears from the picture in a way.

  

 

Here I like how the long strings and the leaves in the background are going together. I am not sure about the black shirt in the left picture and whether it distracts from the connection between the mask and the leaves.

 

Here I really like the flash and how she looks unexpectedly spotted an captured by the camera.

 

In these two photos, the blue lights reflect the blue wool of the mask, while the orange parts in the botanical blossom in her back come back. In my opinion there is something mystical about her here.

 

Mask 2.0 – Lotus-mask.

This paper mask evolved out of experiments with the material. I had these paper sheets made out of lotus-leaves that really intrigues me. They are super fragile and not really flat and when I sewed them together, the pattern created by that, presented a friction that I liked. In a way the sewing even enhances the fragility of the mask but if you look at the form and the size of the mask it actually appears big and protective. It seems a shield that allows for privacy and closure.

As we discussed in class, the library setting really shows the intimacy that the person under the mask is able to create. I think this really works with the paper that is also present in all the books at the shelf. 

Because the paper is made from lotus, the idea of staging the mask in the botanical garden appeared.Here I experimented with different backgrounds and plants and how they could harmonize with the mask.

Mask 3.0 – Paverpol-mask.

My original idea was to create my own tracing paper on which I could embroider elements that disturbed the facial expression. I used Papverpol to fill in forms that I found and when it dried it first became white and after a few days totally transparent. But it was super hard which made embroidery impossible. I liked the combination of the two forms that creade a round shape, fitting a face. And actually when wearing this mask, it still disturbs facial expressions because you can hardly see the skin and its new formations.

Here I love the direct look of her Eyes into the camera

Here the shadow is even more impressive than the mask itself, which really fascinates me.

During experimentations, it appears that the Paverpol again will melt when getting hot. On top of the heating the material would soften and I would be able to deform de hardened plates. Because it also changes again the color and gets white during this process, I started to pay more attention to the patterns on the mask. It seems interesting how the strings and veins in the Paverpol resemble water streams. Thats why I went into the shower with the mask and took pictures of how the mask changes color and form with the warmth of the water.

I think you can already see on the photos the difference of when the mask was dry above and when its getting wet in the shower. I experimented with filming...

Mask 4.0 – Transparent-mask.

The Paverpol turned out to be different to what I expected but I was still intrigued by the idea of  embroidering so I played with real paper and thin wool. I like that the person becomes to plain and emotionless in a way. With the use of only this plain colors I want to enhance this.

This was just a first screen shoot but I think it is interesting how the light skin color works with the transparence and the detailed embroideries of the mask

In a second series stages the series and played with the contrast of dark eyes and hair.

During that process, I figured, that the mask has more potential if it is not that straight even if I really liked the shape it created from the side

I enhanced the folding by adding more embroidery to the folds

In a third shoot I we went outside and played with the reflection in the window. I like how the mask becomes a wearable item that asks for attention 

Having the nice sunlights I tried out some photos with shadows. I am interested in how the dark shadows work with the transparency of the thin paper.