“People formulate their relationship with death in different ways; always, however, masks and death appear in association. The mask is an emblem of hope, a magical instrument of continuance, and a manifestation of an otherworldly identity. There is another life hidden behind the mask images of one’s ancestors, an after-life in a mysterious and terrifying form, symbolised in the mask and invoked from the valley of the shadow for a possible temporary return and resurrection. The mask is summons and interdiction in one; it induces the dead to stay in their own realm. The mask on the face of the dead serves both to preserve their identity and to set the seal on their separation from the living.
Funerary masks also exist in Africa, although there it is hardly ever put on the dead as a face mask. The white mask of the Baule tribe of Guinea, painted in the colour of death, represents in its simple and expressive clarity the mysterious impassivity of death, which art alone can penetrate.
In Europe, Gallic and Etruscan patterns had a widespread influence on the concepts underlying the use of funerary masks. The Roman ancestor masks (imagines maiorum) date back to proto-Etruscan times; originally they were made of wax , and were therefore rarely preserved. During the time of the Roman Empire, masks were durably made of metal. In the Roman ancestral cult, these masks were brought out and worn in all funeral processions, thus involving the ancestors directly in the proceedings. This custom had a creative effect on Roman sculpture.
With the secularisation of death, the disappearance of the belief in heaven, hell and judgement, masks ceased to be a symbol of fear and hope. Death as final disintegration no longer needs a disguise.
Nothingness wears no mask.
It was not until recent times that Europeans reverted to the Roman practise of making death masks which are cast in plaster or wax direct from the face of the subject. Neither works of art nor cult objects, these masks nevertheless often have a powerful associative content.”
(Masks of the World, Oto Bihalji-Merin)
This rather large extract taken from my favourite book on the subject explains why I chose the medium of mask making in order to create Memento Mori pieces. What I have always loved about masks is that once you place it over your face you become an entirely different person, just by altering your facial features you can escape and be someone other than yourself. In it’s association with death it has a very different meaning, which changes depending on wether it is placed on the deceased or the bereaved. This text shows some examples of different ways the death mask has been used in different cultures, for example the ritual for them in Africa is inherently different to how they were used in the Roman ancestral cult. In one culture they could be painted representations of death and in another they can be plain, metal reminders of ancestral heritage. I think it might be an idea to look more to the Roman rituals as a reference in my work because of the Roman Empire’s links with the United Kingdom.
Another point to think about is wether or not I want to create masks for the dead or the living. Personally I don’t believe my masks are meant to be worn, they are both a reminder of mortality and an ephemeral object representing the personality of the deceased. Nothing lasts forever but the memory of a persons personality lives on through the people who were influenced by them. After the person has died, a visual representation of that persons face is born with a limited life span of it’s own. By capturing that persons facial features I feel that for a short while I am capturing their spirit. Of course in my actual pieces this is only a concept so far, the subject of death masks must be tackled with sensitivity for the general public so for the time being my masks are that of living people but the feeling is intended to be the same. By creating these pieces I wish to mimic the impression of a death mask memento mori piece having been created and the message is still the same. As the impact is not as great as if it was cast in death the possibility of being able to do this in the future will be explored. For now I have been concentrating on the processes and concept so maybe I will be able to approach this sensitive subject when I have become more experienced with the materials.