A Tale of Two Masks
The Revolution Set is comprised of two face masks: one in a Plague Doctor style and the other built on a simple shaped base. The shaped mask was built in Spring 2020, and features pearl fringe detailing, studs, spikes, and rhinestones. The lines are clean, and there is an elegance to the aesthetic. The studs and half-round pearl details were meant to evoke the vulgarity of decay and the symbolism of plague. COVID-19 was an unknown entity when the shaped mask was made, and as an artistic response to the uncertainties of the new reality of the pandemic, the Revolution Revisited (shaped) mask was created.
Plague Doctor Mask
The Plague Doctor Revolution mask was created approximately one full year after the original shaped mask. By this point the pandemic is our ‘normal’ state, and our lives have evolved to accommodate for its influence and impact. In comparing the two masks, it is possible to see a subconscious reaction in the mask as artistic response: The design lacks elegance completely, and is covered in multi-sized spikes, studs, and rivets. This mask is a symbol of armor or protection rather than aesthetic inspiration – we are frazzled after a year of life in a pandemic and our edges are sharp. This mask is built on a neoprene base with an over layer of printed cotton fused to stretch cotton twill. The embellishments include rivets, pyramid studs, and screw-back and sew-on spikes, creating a chaotic barrier between the wearer and the outside world.
Aesthetic Inspiration
The camo, stud, and pearl look behind the Revolution mask comes from a costume design of the same name, built for media appearances promoting philanthropy event Circus Couture in Las Vegas, 2011. For this look, I built spiked pearl epaulets and a strapless dress with removable full skirt that revealed a minidress underneath. The skirt of the minidress was covered in a laborious fabric manipulation technique called “furrowing“, and the overall look was inspired by the event’s theme of Revolution.
The look was re-imagined in 2019 for the 10th anniversary production of Circus Couture, retaining the aesthetic inspiration while modifying the costume silhouette.
This project is funded in part by the Cornell Council for the Arts. 