Blog 3 – Project Outcome and Reflection
Mask Making and Politics (3D Effects for Performance) was my chosen Better Lives subject. This project aimed to enable us to understand and learn about fundamental principles and techniques used by 3D practitioners to design and manufacture masks for the creative industry.
We investigated the history, diversity and uses of masks through the world such as for cultural, political and even performance reasons. Exploring different manufacturing processes such Vac Form and Paper Mache. We had to create our own individual response to a political character through our exploration and create a mask that would be used to represent our response, or that could be used in a political march of such.
While researching a political problem for my individual response I looked at different problems such as BREXIT, Russian Bolsheviks, Anti mask law in Hong Kong and the US gun law. The one that struck me the most and made me want to make a response was the US gun law, the right to keep and bear arms by the second amendment of the United States constitution. As mass shooting has been on such a high these past years and Donald Trump the President of the United States promised stricter gun laws but has not done anything at all to make America safer and taking corporate social responsibility.
My plan for my mask was to make a caricature of Donald Trump to belittle and intimidate him but also to place crosses on his eye to give the message that he is dead. I want to give a very heavy impact from the citizens point of view to make him realize how much the gun law is having impacts on victims’ families. Hoping to give him the want to make the law stricter.
During the project we were given the choice between two manufacturing processes and I knew I wanted to use something that will be sustainable/eco-friendly after listening to the nature lecture. The choice was Vac-Form or Paper Mache, Vac-Form involved using a large piece of plastic that is warmed up and vacuumed onto the sculpt creating a shell of our sculpt. Paper Mache involved using and layering old newspaper and an adhesive to create the shell. Paper Mache was my choice as I was giving the newspaper a new reusable usage, so I was not creating any new wastage. As I image my masks to be worn at marches/protests I can see them being littered and left, so as paper is biodegradable meaning a much more sustainable choice compared to plastic which is not biodegradable.
We sculpted our masks out with air drying clay, some began to create their shell masks but due to the current circumstances I was unable to complete my mask.
This project has helped me to think more sustainable through my work and encouraged me to consider diversity in my work. It able me to also expand on my sculpting skills, it has been very interesting and enjoyable to experience another course at the university.