What is the mask?

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I want to explore the different forms and representations of the mask which are put into place within our lives. Whether this be a physical mask, such as makeup, or a psychological mask. The psychological mask can explore themes such as social cues and how we are trained to accept them, and how we change how we act, by  almost rewriting our code. The code, which dictates compelled social etiquette on how we should act and behave, to be the ‘model’ citizen. This doesn’t accurately reflect what we think, it’s a front we represent to the world, a front which has become so paramount that it is frowned upon to reject and contradict these set behaviours. I also want to explore the consequences of ripping off the mask, which leads to the ‘wearer’ feeling exposed and the viewer feeling uncomfortable, as the wearer behaves in contrast to expectation. The feeling of being uncomfortable, being separated from the subject in the painting, but at the same time having a small sense of familiarity and repeatability to the viewer’s own life is what I hope to achieve within my work.

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The word ‘mask’ is quite unassuming and can provoke so much thought and emotion in this day and age. It can mean a sense of security, or a wall to prevent people coming close. However, dictated, the definition always leads to the covering up of something. The common definition is “a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or frighten others.” This covers the word as a whole, but the word itself can be defined into categories such as surgery, sports, cosmetics, theatre and photography. By adding a small article such as, ‘the’ in front of it, this little word suddenly draws power, wanting to be seen. In my practice, I explore the impact that the mask has on the population, especially the female (through self-portraiture?), as the mask becomes a social construct of society depicting how she is seen and valued according to the beauty standards of the time. The word “beautiful” has been defined in many different ways in different cultures throughout history when looking at the face and separately at the body, as both have different functions whilst falling into the same category of defining beauty. 

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Therefore, we must ask the questions: are we in control of the mask or does the mask control us? And are we aware of the mask being an influence on our lives? When asked, multiple people replied that they feel they had a mask, and when asked why, the most common answer was that it was a device to make them feel safe, especially in social situations, where we as humans tend to mirror the behaviour of those we want to associate with, so that we have something in common, and we fit in better. Is this the way we have to behave in order to feel accepted? In this way, the mask is psychologically acting as a barrier or a gateway, depending on the person, as we are naturally social creatures. With the social pressure of being “normal” and “accepted”, we have unconsciously developed the ability to judge others. Such as when walking down the street, seeing someone and judging their outfit choices, or other mannerisms, which that person may have picked to fit in, or in complete contrast want to stand out, without fear of judgement. Suggesting that they have broken their constraints to which the mask holds them.

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By thinking about the mask psychologically, the representation is often physical, such as the steps that we take to get ready to go out into society. The makeup that is applied and the clothes that are chosen. Sometimes, these steps differ depending on the people we are going to meet and where they are going. In some ways I feel that I have different sides, whether it be going out and putting a front of “normal” and put together, or working in the studio, and not being precious about what I wear and what I look like, as my focus is on work, not about the version of myself people perceive, as I feel that my work is an accurate representation of the version, as with painting there is a certain grace to being able to manipulate and change the image of the subject into what the artist chooses to represent. I feel that this is almost a cheat, and that the world is so used to seeing the airbrushed, beauty standard achieving portrait, that when the real subject is depicted it is frowned upon. This has also become a form of propaganda to trap the world in the form of beauty, in which they feel they have to become the image shown to them and change their mannerisms to be successful and to fit in. However, there is the danger here of losing individuality as the form of pushing propaganda becomes more prominent in social media. When also delving into the realm of makeup, there is the issue of becoming more of an object to be viewed, specifically as the representation of the efforts she puts into the advertisements of fake beauty norms, that are being sold to women. This is the reason my practice seeks to cover the face, to question the impact of the incomplete face by only having the eyes of the subject visible, as the eyes are the first things that we look at when viewing a portrait- not as much as when talking to a person, as this can be very subjective. The eyes are also what tend to show emotion. I experiment with how far I can push the limited viewpoint of the eyes to still achieve the emotion and portrayal of the mask, be it in control or not in control with how the subject of the painting reacts to the background and depths of chosen colours within the paintings. The eyes themselves can be seen as masks, as the only real emotion shown is when they shed a tear, whereas they hide the inner thoughts and conflicts within the self. The portrayal of limited emotion is a challenge to break the mask of the subject, to see what is hidden away, whilst being constricted to the limited part of the face. The other issue this work combats is that of beauty being seen objectively- a person being reduced to the products they wear and being treated accordingly. 

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When painting a portrait, the artist has a choice to conform or rebel against the notion of the painting and the subject being seen purely as a standard of beauty. However, the result almost always ends up being judged and viewed objectively as it has become an object in itself. This idea is similar to when a painting is viewed at an art gallery, it is judged on two things: the artists’ ability to translate the skill of the painting as a material and the message the painter wants to convey and also where the subject falls within the standard of beauty. The work is then also judged on the subjective experience the viewer receives from it. The third perspective of this point is how the viewer perceives the work in relation to how they think they are supposed to act. Society has made art galleries more accessible now, but they still have the stigma surrounding them of the upper class, where the walls are traditionally painted white and there is no noise, so that the public can ‘enjoy’ the work. This is still enforced today, but once again can be viewed as a mask. The artwork is viewed differently according to the places where they sit and people act differently according to the type of gallery and space they are exhibited in. 

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Therefore, we must once again ask if we are in control of the mask, or if it controls us. Are we afraid that if we take off the mask, that we won’t be accepted? But then the more we rely on it, the less of our true selves are left. The option is up to us, are we pushing down the true personality for fear of standing out and to be a mould of modern society (which may lead to the mask taking over us), or is the risk taken to expose the true self and embrace it? Break the mask and regain control.

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So I ask again, what is the mask?