mask

1) (1-2 sent.) One issue that my mask addresses is the idea that we all live by a script. My mask explores the idea that as women, we are expected to follow the script of beauty written for us; a beautiful woman is often seen as the woman who can best capture a man's attention & who always looks put-together.

2) My mask related to the Modernism language of Formalism. It analyzes the purely visual aspects of beauty and why we do the things we do. Formalism also explores the basic elements of art such as color, line, composition, and texture, all of which are shown in this mask. The mask has the classical elements that girls seek to have-full rosey lips, thick eyelashes, and skin/hair that is seemingly perfect.  The bright colors are meant to play off of the real colors we often see painted on women's faces. The mask is very literal, while still being very much unnatural and incredibly sterile. The silver paint reflects this almost robot-like feeling, and thus a sense of unattainability. The texture is not perfectly smooth, yet the silver paint covers it up well. Even this reflects the very real way that models today can feel very fake and cold. As you look at pictures of celebrities, one can desire to look like them all the while feeling like they don't look real or like the women we know in real life. The body language in this photograph also plays into this idea of Formalism, as the lines and composition are very purposeful. The arms are very straight with not much bend, while the hands are curved in a showy way, showcasing the face and drawing attention to the face and hair as the hair is being pulled back and to the side. Girls are taught from a young age the right body language to master to capture guys' attention and create a confident facade. All of these elements are very symbolic and yet this Formalist photo is very portraiture-like. I like the way that created a sense of reality and fantasy, something I think is common in the way beauty is perceived today.

3)

Visual Culture Reference. 

Taylor Swift 2014 ACM Awards

4) My mask definitely bears relationship to the concept or True Self/False Self. I have realized recently more than ever how much pressure I feel to always look beautiful. As a young woman, looking beautiful is considered the ideal self. Whether it is to fit in with other girls, to impress a guy or simply to create the facade of having it all today, we are implicitly and explicitly pressured to look good. Almost every woman struggles with the issue of feeling like they are not enough. They are not enough without makeup or hair product. They are not enough without a man's affections. My mask raises the question of why. Why do we make these standards of beauty? Why are thick eyelashes, clear skin, full lips, and a thin physique the things that when perfectly combined together are considered perfect and gorgeous? Why do girls alter their body language only to create a seductive persona, that isn't really them? Why do we still want that cookie-cutter look when we are aware of the fact that it is so cookie-cutter and unoriginal? I hope my mask might alter the script given to us by culture by showing how unrealistic these standards are. There is no cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all answer to "what is beautiful." The photograph shows that the mask is clearly not me. You can see elements of me-my brown eyes, hair, the structure of my nose and lips. Yet it is clear that it would be so much better if I removed the mask and if I had a less forced pose. This is true to real life as well, not only photography. When people let their real self show, it truly is beautiful in a raw and natural way. It shows true confidence when a girl doesn't have to wear makeup everyday and if her hair doesn't always look perfect. It shows true beauty when a girl can be around guys and not feel the need to draw attention to herself or have all eyes on her. Imperfections make us unique, which really is a lovely thing. I think the reason for that is because we are created in the image of God, and because of that we have God-given beauty, that doesn't need any man-made alterations.