NO MASK [2023]
"The mask is an art object that serves to cover the face to conceal identity, or to represent something else." (Wikipedia) If everyone knew each other's true emotions, how would the world be different? What if you couldn’t put on a mask?
This project began with an article I read about mascots in theme parks being mistreated by visitors, experiencing both physical and mental abuse. People seem to have less empathy when they don't see who they are dealing with, suggesting that the human face, which expresses our emotions, is very impactful. Our emotions are conveyed through our face and body language. Therefore, I wanted to preserve and enhance the human aspect in the mask I created. My goal was to reverse the 'hiding' of human expression behind a mask.
Everyone hides their emotions at times. When you're not feeling well, it is more common and socially accepted to keep smiling. By aiming for the opposite, I created a mask that amplifies human emotions and visually communicates them to the outside world. I worked with the five basic emotions, each represented by the following colors:
1. Fear: Grey/Black
2. Anger: Red/Black
3. Joy: Orange/Pink
4. Sadness: Dark blue/Dark green
5. Amazement: Purple/Teal
Emotions are constantly changing, so the mask needed to evolve in real-time. It had to interact with the world around us. Inspired by natural phenomena, where nothing stands completely still and the body constantly breathes and moves, I animated the color gradient in an organic way. The color gradient on the mask 'breathes,' reflecting the dynamic nature of human emotions. The colors and lines on the mask serve as symbols to translate and indicate the wearer's mood.
With this mask, people could share their inner world with the outside world, creating an intriguing experiment. I am curious to see how such a system would work in practice.
CREDITS
CAST:
Model – Jelmer van Son
CREW:
Concept Creation – Kjettil Gerritsen
Concepting Assistance – Mees Bertelink
Editor & Colorist – Kjettil Gerritsen
Technical Assistance – Jelmer van Son
