Masked Identity

Assignment:

How would you describe your identity? Through the making of a sculptural head piece and imagery, compose a visual narrative that offers clues to your identity without showing your face. Use materials that emulate skin and skeleton (trace paper and wire). The form should cover your head and shoulders. Once the form is complete, video or photograph yourself  wearing the form. Imagery should demonstrate a narrative that communicates your identity. The final solution for this assignment is photography or video.

Objective:

Development of an idea that uses metaphor and symbols to visually communicate a personal narrative.

Materials:

Wire, wire cutters, tracing paper, gel medium, brushes, cup with water.

I feel that attending school in St.Augustine has in a way taken away part of my identity. Walking to class people stop to ask questions thinking that because I live here I'm walking down the street for their convenience of a tour guide. Others look curiously from their seats on the trolley and take pictures as though I am a robot walking around campus to entertain them. I feel like I'm living in a fishbowl. Everywhere I go people are looking. I'm not saying this in a conceited way, but just as an observation. It makes me wonder why they're looking. If anything, it makes me more self-conscious. Anyhow, I took this feeling and created a fishbowl mask. The sides aren't all perfect and it does not look exactly like a fishbowl. The imperfections reflect the self-consciousness I feel as a result of constantly feeling like I am being watched or looked at by whoever for whatever reason I am unaware of.

 I began this project with the basic wire frame and then added layers of tracing paper with water and gel medium. When that was complete I wore it in front of the school and waited for a trolley. Once one passed by I took a picture of them taking pictures. The effect wasn't quite what I wanted so I Photoshopped a picture of me wearing the mask into a better trolley picture that was taken.