Blog 3: Project Outcome Reflection – Mask Making
During this Better Lives unit, I took part in Mask Making and Politics classes. The task was to design and create a political mask and so, I chose to focus on deforestation and the forest fires that are an effect of this. Looking into the way it affects nature and animals, my mask consisted of an orangutan face with flames appearing on the top half of the mask.
We spent the classes working on the sculpts for the mask and planned to create them after the Easter break, choosing between papier-mâché or vac-forming plastic. As my mask was based around conservation of nature, using plastic didn’t seem to be a good idea. I was informed however that we would be using recycled plastic to create the mask, but in the end I planned to do papier-mâché as it suited the shape and design of my mask better.
With the whole global pandemic occurring at the moment and everyone working from home, it was clear that we would not be able to physically work on the masks as intended. Instead, our task has changed to be design-led. I stuck to the basics of my design, only changing the material it would be made of if time and budget were not of concern. After having watched the Better Lives lectures, I took in what was said about sustainability and considered this thoroughly when researching materials for my mask.
Since it was a conceptual mask, I had a wide range of materials to consider. I wanted the materials to be of a sustainable source whilst still giving the appearance I want. In the end, I chose bamboo for the base of the mask as it has the wooded texture and appearance whilst being much more sustainable than standard hardwoods. For the flames, I chose tinted resin but later when presenting my idea to the class, Caroline Gardener suggested looking into natural saps and rosins as they would give a similar appearance but are of a much more natural source and thus, are more sustainable.
It was interesting to research into this as previously I only looked at papier-mâché and vac-forming plastic, the minimal options making it simpler to choose but not expanding my mind. It was purely practical in my mind, focusing on how to shape the clay and how I would paint the mask in the end. Changing to the design and research aspect has made me focus on choosing from all of the possibilities, making me really consider how sustainability plays into the creation of the product and how this would affect the design process.
I am very happy with the outcome of my conceptual mask design. I feel that it clearly portrays the issue at hand, making a statement within itself. One thing I missed out in my presentation that I noticed in other people’s presentation, was how the mask would be put onto the head. Some of their designs covered around the head, sitting like a helmet of sorts. As mine only covers the top half of the face, I would have fabric straps that sit around the circumference of the head and one that goes down the centre line of the head, connecting to the horizontal straps. This way, the mask will sit securely to the head and not slide down. They would be made out of organic linen since it is very sustainable. It requires minimal water and pesticides, no part of the plant is wasted, and it is strong and fully biodegradable when untreated. Leaving it to its natural colour will suit my mask design well.
24th May 2020 @ 8:27 pm
I read Damicka Izharudin’s blog 3 and was very interested to learn about her involvement in the Mask Making and Politics classes. Her chosen enquiry into deforestation and forest fires, and how this affects nature and animals, struck a very personal chord with me. I immediately recalled to mind the recent Australian bushfires and a distressing news item that I saw in which a koala bear was filmed trapped in the midst of a conflagration. It appeared certain that the animal would perish, but my partner, who also saw the piece and other related footage, assured me that the bear was indeed rescued. Apparently, its paws were singed and covered with latex-style gloves to accelerate the healing process.
I thought that Damicka’s idea of a mask that depicted the face of an orangutan was an ingenious way of highlighting the devastation caused by deforestation and forest fires, but I would have liked to have learned more about the underlying causes of this phenomenon in her piece. For example, a number of top Australian scientists recently concluded that logging native forests makes fires more severe. They also complained that most of the post-fire conversation and analysis centred on the issue of climate change and neglected the impact that land management had. Research has demonstrated that logging leads to a rise in fuel loads, increases potential drying of wet forests and causes a decrease in forest height. Additionally, it results in up to 450 tonnes of combustible fuel a hectare close to ground level. More than 400 plants and as many as 200 invertebrates (including freshwater mussels, schrimps, burrowing crayfish, land snails, spiders, millipedes, bees, dragonflies and butterflies) needed urgent attention after the bushfire crisis. The most severely affected species had at least 30% of their range burned and in some cases the figure was much higher. I think that background information like this is key in highlighting awareness about the problems of deforestation via a blog platform and in conveying a serious commitment to affect behavioural patterns through the mask creation/design task.
I really admire Damicka’s strenuous efforts to initially make (and later design) her mask from the most sustainable materials possible, such as papier-mâché, bamboo, natural saps and rosins, and organic linen. It’s clear that she put a lot of research into this and wanted to remain true to ethical principles throughout her design journey. It would have been nice to see a picture of her design outcomes in the blog, especially as she discussed options for keeping the mask secured to the head. I believe that constructive feedback on final outcomes is important and valuable.
In conclusion, I think that Damicka made a valid contribution to the project brief of Mask Making and Politics. It just unfortunate that the pandemic intervened and put paid to her original plans to produce a physical artefact. The results would have been exciting to see. Further, the move to a design-only project highlights how challenging (and to a degree inefficacious) it is to translate a physical arts-based course into a purely online format.