Performance mask making - by Dr. Malcolm Knight
On receipt of the mask shell made from plaster-resin powder my process was to prepare the shell for casting by building surrounding clay walls and infilling any missing parts to create a sealed mould. This mould was then covered and filled with silicone to create a negative mould from the positive shell. After drying out the silicone mould was then overlaid with a protective fibre-glass jacket. This silicone negative mould was then treated with a release agent and inlaid with three layers of wool paper (‘carta lana’) soaked in rabbit Size hot glue. This process is akin to papier-mâché and requires the paper to be torn into small pieces with serrated edges that are butted together until a uniform thickness of about one-sixteenth of an inch is attained. When all the sections are dry and hold their shape, after a drying-out period of one or two days, the mask is released from the silicone mould and is then checked against the original plaster-resin shell for any signs of shrinkage or distortion. In this event corrections and adjustments are made as required.
The wool-paper positive mask is then mounted on a full-head plaster bust and a helmet is sculpted in clay joining the mask to the helmet. This is then overlaid using three layers of resin cloth (celastic) and left to dry. The wool paper mask is made to bond to the resin cloth helmet almost seamlessly. The resultant mask-helmet is eased from the plaster bust and the clay is removed. The openings in the mask for eyes, nostrils and mouth are cut using a fine scalpel and smoothed using a mini-hand power tool with miniature cutting blades and sanding discs. Any rough edges around the perimeter of the mask helmet are also rendered smooth using the same technique.
The painting of the mask helmet involves applying several thin coats of primer (usually white acryllic gesso) until a satisfactory overall coverage is achieved. An acrylic base coat is then selected and applied while this is varied following the lines and contours of the mask surface to create shadows and highlights. The main lines, features and character traits of the mask are always painted by hand. Dyed sheepswool is then applied to the headdress and woven to follow the lines in the digital rendering. The mask is finished with a final coat of matt varnish to seal the painted surface. Finally the inside of the mask receives a coat of black acryllic gesso and thin foam padding is added to the top of the helmet, forehead, cheeks and chin to provide support and comfort for the wearer.
This process of mask-making is relatively low-tech and the essential stages of casting, building, cutting, sanding, painting, finishing and padding have been practised for centuries by all skeuopoios (‘makers of kit’ as the ancient Greeks called them). High-tech digital imaging, calibration techniques, rapid process development forming, and the production of data-sets and colouring recommendations have enabled us to re-create masks from originals to within sub-millimetre accuracy. The result is much more than a computer-generated replica. It is the outcome a creative praxis between the digital practitioners and the hands of the mask-maker who are both in the service of the performer. The mask is a sculptural gesture within a codified tradition and each mask has its own sensory co-ordinates in a specific conceptual scheme. In the past within codified traditions all mask-makers were expected to learn their trade by learning how to copy before they could create.
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Clay reconstruction |
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Silicone mould |
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Wool paper |
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Painting the mask |
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Sheepswool hair |
Comparison of virtual masks and performance masks generated by the project:
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Young man
5XT 4
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Female
1ST 46c |
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Slave
5DS 8 |
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Middle-aged Man UT46 |
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Slave
Ls 35 |
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Young man
4NT15a |
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Female
1903-70 |
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Young man
MYR 349 |
For further information on Malcolm Knight and his work please visit the Scottish Mask and Puppet Centre website:
http://www.scottishmaskandpuppetcentre.co.uk/
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