This is a piece I created for a project in my Art Methods class 2 years ago. Our professor gave us guidelines for the "MASK" project. I let out a huge sigh...I thought.."not another mask project." I did like 20 of those during my undergrad work in college and 20 more when I was working professionally as a scenic artist. But, I'm so happy I didn't take this assignment lightly. I decided to take a different approach to the work and not be so cynical. I told myself I would create this mask from found and recycled materials. After a quick stop at the local thrift store, I found all the materials I needed to begin the mask. I tore apart an old basket, cut out pieces of an old suede sport coat, tore apart a beaded purse, dyed an old mop head black, and dismembered an old leather belt.
This actually took some time to do and I still had not started on the project.
I found a generic mask form that I used to attach to the cardboard form. I then took air-dry clay and sculpted the african style form of the face. The mop head provided the fullness of the hair as well as something I could use to attach the rest of materials I was to use for the hair (basket pieces, leather belt strips, and burlap).
To give the piece more of an authentic feel, I crushed some of the beads to make them look broken, from being used over and over during the past centuries. I also got rid of some of the beads entirely. I also sprayed the whole form with black and gray paint to give it an aged look. It was amazing for me to realize how these materials could come together and create something so authentic. Things I bought and destroyed, I used for an entirely different purpose. It was a rewarding process. Before this realization, I was still doing the hum-drum traditional oil painted canvases. I was not motivated, losing focus, and bored. Contributing to the worlds awareness of being environmentally aware gave me a larger sense of purpose. Concepts I wrote about in my Thesis during graduate school started to sythesize with what I was doing artistically and that felt great!
All my interests were forming this coherent whole and I was starting to get excited about my art again. I have been in an incubation process ever since and am just now beginning to see how my ideas can manifest as image and form.
I hope to remain disciplined and start moving toward my goals. No matter if other people read this blog, for me its about being accountable, something I lack and something I hope to improve. I am a true introvert and sometimes other things in my life suffer as a result. I wish I was more honest with myself before, but I guess sometimes we just have to go through the darkness of the abyss before we can return home with our tales of hardship and return to glory.
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