Blog Post 3
The Better Lives class that I chose was Mask Making and Politics. In which the brief stated that the project would introduce us to the fundamental principles and techniques of 3D practitioners to design and manufacture masks for the creative industry.
During the classes we were shown all types of masks used for a variety of different reasons. Specifically, masks created for specific topics such as climate change, human rights, equality and so on. Other instances that masks are used in are performances, rituals and more.
During this time, global warming is at its highest so far and climate change is very prominent. The most recent major issue I could think of were the Australian Bushfires; so I decided to focus on forest fires and fires altogether. Currently the ones affected most by these fires are the animals that reside in the forest but if we keep going at this rate without changing its only so long until we humans are affected in such a way as well. I wanted the mask I created to be sustainable and environmentally friendly and I wanted it to be easily malleable and thin and then paint over it to get the desired effect.
During my research, I came across a lot of different materials that would be used but none of them created the effect I wanted it to, I mainly looked into wax, wood and clay as the main materials as a lot of the examples I saw used them. I want my mask to look life-like and I want it to accurately resemble a person with second and third degree burns to both: keep the wearer unrecognisable but also to show the viewer the human equivalent of what the forest creatures have to go through. I want to create this effect by making sure the features on the face are not easy to figure out; I wanted to make the mask extreme because I think if the viewer can relate more to the mask then they might feel more obligated to help out, or there’s the risk of the mask creating the complete opposite effect and people avoid them. After watching my peers presenting their work I came to realise that although I had thought through my project, there was still a lot of research I could have done to be more detailed.
My final design was of a human face with second and third degree burns. It would be created out of paper mache and then painted over and it would have strings to put around the ears. It would also potentially be a little larger than the average face. Overall, I really like the way that my final design looks, although I think I could have put in more time to do more thorough research in terms of the material used.
8th May 2020 @ 2:49 pm
Peer review
I really enjoyed reading this blog post, especially because of the thought behind the mask itself. Thinking about the forest fires and the impact that it has had not only on the humans in Australia but also the vulnerable animals that are now impacted and have lost their homes and family.
The thought of using sustainable materials as well with everything that went on is a very conscientious thing to do to try and be environmentally friendly.
The design is very well thought out and it looks and feels like you did enough research for the mask as you knew which path you wanted to go down to make a shocking yet needed mask to show the importance of being careful and safe with bushfires going on and creating that opposite effect is very well thought out.
Overall really well written post and drawn out design which I think fits the brief perfectly.
10th May 2020 @ 5:37 pm
After reading multiple blog posts about the Better Lives lectures, themes and individual group projects, I decided to comment on Dhairya Patel’s Blog Post 3 in which the student reflects on their Mask Making and Politics project. The reason for my decision was because this project was, after Fashion Activism, my second choice for the Better Lives Unit. Both tasks with the end goal of achieving social change creative practices and projects working as forces driving social and ethical change. Hence, I was curious to see and read about the 3D Effects for Performance and Fashion group projects.
In their blog, Dhairya’s takes the reader on a personal journey of their Better Lives experience. The description of the basic skills they have acquired during the Better Lives Unit gives an insight into the reasons for mask making. It was interesting to read about people’s great deal of motives for wearing masks. From which, in turn, I understand that masks have been of usage in the past and present alike, to address local and global issues or as a symbol of a society’s and culture’s identity.
The student’s idea for their project – create a mask that refers to bushfires and fires in general – had surprised me and, again, made me realise the multitude of events for which masks can be created. Dhairya provides the reader with a detailed explanation of their mask, followed by a picture of their design. Furthermore, by stating all the environmentally-friendly materials the student intended to use for the creation of their mask, they give evidence of not only having understood the Better Lives key themes but also being able to put them into practice.
As I mentioned above, I read multiple blog posts, and what sets Dhariya’s blog post apart from others is that they also talk about the difficulties they faced in the course of the project. Dhariya mentions that after the project group members each had presented their ideas, the student felt like they could have done more desk research. Although I cannot comment on this particular concern, I can say that in my eyes, Dhariya’s project fulfilled the required criteria for the project and it could be an idea to come to fruition if it was to be made for an organisation, demonstration, etc. What I also want to mention is that we should perceive our academic journey as a learning process, and the Better Lives Unit an opportunity to expand our boundaries of creative practice. It is great to see students learning from others so that they can implement it in their upcoming projects.
To conclude, I enjoyed reading about Dhariya’s project, really liked the project outcome and the student’s attention to detail. Dhariya has understood all themes of the Better Lives Unit. They accomplished a very diverse task, designed a mask made of sustainable materials, which’s details visually reflect what those affected by fires go through, and to raise awareness of global warming, as well as its effects on the environment and the people.