I was doing research for the form and materials of the mask today and came across some fascinating images and two shows that contain beautiful and creative masks.
1. Masha Ma's 2014 runway show:
I like the lightness of the material and how it is held comfortably to the head.
2. Masked Intention at He Made She Made Gallery, Sydney(2013).
"He Made She Made has invited 21 Artists & Designers to reinvent 21 Masks for the 21st Century. Participants were given the brief to create bespoke masks that must be wearable and fit on a human head. The result is a diverse range of conceptual approaches currently being exhibited as part of the Masked Intentions exhibition.
Contributors include Benja Harney, Dion Horstmans, Jake Stollery, Eduardo Wolfe-Alegria, Thi Nguyen, Kit Palaskas, Naughtyfish, Vert Design, Tamara Maynes and Vincent Buret amongst others."
I've seen some of the artists' work in my former research, but am still impressed by how diverse the approaches are and understanding of a mask each artist had. The candle one and the wood blocks are particularly unique and inspirational to me for the unconventional form and use of materials.
Other than the references, I'm just writing down some keywords here to remind myself of the feelings I want to evoke and what do I want to do with the beak mask:
Making voice vs muffled voice
Confusion vs communication
Pointy & aggressive vs vulnerable
Protection vs constraint
Create a distance
Possibilities in misunderstanding: new conversation, new way of communication
Different characteristics with different masks