I wanted my mask to cover the shoulders and most of the chest to give the visual that the heart plays an important role in communication. From there my mask covers the face and extends out in a phonograph shape, also representing the communication of verbal words. To push this idea further, I had the phonograph-type shape recede back in, but I left the metal wire exposed on the inside. The wire is patterned similarly to a spider web, but it is hard and rigid because of the material it is made with. With our words we often spin webs and can hurt others and trap ourselves, and this is what this structure represents. Also through the indent back into the structure, I wanted to express the way that we choose not to speak at times, or recede back from our words, and yet we still have harsh and hurtful words going through our minds behind the scenes. I know I can't speak for all people, but I will often plan out a confrontation or a conversation, but once I see that person and begin to talk to them, I draw back in and end up saying nothing at all.
I have a very complex relationship with words in that I struggle expressing myself through language, and yet I often find that the times I do speak, I end up only expressing my negative feeling and hurtful words. That is also a reason that I dance. Through dance I can express all of my feelings, without words. This is why I chose to take my pictures in the aerial silk- it is part of my identity, and I often use it as a covering and a way to avoid verbal communication. There are so many complex feelings and thoughts that went into this project that I am not actually sure I can communicate effectively through words (which is the very reason this project has meaning to me), but my hope is that my mask will communicate these ideas beyond what words can.
Process Pictures:
Final Photos:
