I chose the Teotihuacan civilization because it speaks to my Mexican heritage. My mood board concentrates on the colors of the environment and culture of their lifestyles. I wanted to create a piece that combines the structural aspects of the ancient ruins located in Central Mexico with a feminine approach, which I find beautiful as a Mexican American female. The Pyramid of the Sun really captivated me with the beauty as well as the functionality that was constructed by man at an early time. I pulled inspiration from the Teotihuacan’s juxtapose of the stone architecture and the natural surroundings. Although color has a small role in the final product, the colors I observed influenced my decisions on materials and the overall tone of the mask.
The Teotihuacan civilization was heavily religious, this shaped my decision to create a piece that subtly represents a halo or sun when looking from below. The profile of the piece resembles the steps of the Pyramid of the Sun, a structure that was used for sacrifices and religious ceremonies built in the second century AD.
I explored my own definition of beauty and connected the civilization’s definition of through sketching nine thumbnails, I pulled three aspects that would become present in my hybrid mask, the sun, a juxtapose of stone and greenery and their cultural masks made of stone. I generated many sketches that included aspects of their culture without thinking about the limitations of linear materials to explore the freedoms and possibilities. I created three structural pieces with linear materials to examine the many ways I could shape around the head form.
My initial idea was to make a grid that covers the face, similar to a fencing mask and place wooden dowels to follow the contours of the face. The final product is a head band constructed of metal sheet that was cut into a strip, rectangular wood dowels to represent the steps of the pyramid and nuts and bolts to connect the linear materials as well as joining an ancient material (wood) and modern materials (metal). This head band represents three different aspects from the Teotihuacan civilization, but also modern details are found in the material choices, such as the nuts and bolts and the abstract appearance of a crown. As I was heavily inspired by the juxtaposition of the ruins and its environment I chose to focus on contrasts of the delicacy of the thin wood dowels and the sturdy metal.
I really enjoyed this project. I became very passionate about the mask because it spoke to my culture and I was able to learn new techniques and skills for three dimensional art. It was interesting to create something with my hands that was originally on paper and translate it with the limitations of using linear materials and mechanical connectors. Throughout the process of this project, I was able to explore my skills in the mini assignments with cardboard, wire and string in constructing contour drawings, everyday objects and polyhedrons.
