When I first learned that we would be creating visual representations of ourselves in the art form of masks, I was slightly disappointed, because I knew I would be unable to engage in the project, due to my allergy to the material used to construct the mask. I was originally directed to create my own personal cultural book, but I was fortunate enough for Mr. Stoltz to copy another student’s mask, so that I could be apart of the project.

Because the mask was not contoured to the shape of my face, because it was in the form of someone else’s I had to try especially hard to make sure that the mask represented my both literally, and artistically. I spent a great deal of type deciding and pondering how I would choose to represent my physical being, because my mask was not particularly contoured to my face, and my emotional state of mind, and being.

I decided that to make the mask more personal I would divide it into four portions. One of the portions is a zoomed in photograph of my eye. I chose to include this in my mask to represent who I am physically, so that I could be more easily identified, and recognized with. I believe this creates a part of my identity, because I felt that the mask wasn’t mine, until I included an actual part of my face in it. I also chose to include my eye in the mask, because I am an extremely observant and watchful person, and I believe this helps to define me.

I chose to paint another quarter black. I believe this represents who I am, because I still have a lot to learn, and a long time to grow as a person, and this is why I chose a solid color to occupy one quarter of the plane of my mask. I also believe the block of color adds a bit of mystery to the mask, and I like to think of myself as a mysterious person. The color black also represents the unknown, and what is yet to come in the future. Primarily the black represents and signifies my future, and what I have to learn and discover in life, and how I plan to grow as a person.

I chose to collage the remaining two portions of my mask using different words, pictures of my favorite pastimes, movies, television shows, people, etc., because I believe many of my interests help to define and identify me as a person.