Artist Statement

Madison Myers

There is something about a mask that I find to be very mysterious, and a little unsettling. It is not the mask  itself  they fear, but what may lurk behind. An uneasiness toward that of the unknown. Perhaps that is where the eeriness associated with masks comes from. When I had the inspiration for this drawing, it was not long before Los Angeles went into lockdown due to Covid-19. Feelings of uneasiness, dread, and masks were lingering at the edge of my mind and that is how this drawing came about. As I am very focused on costume design, especially the historical, the theme I have been following this year is grounding the fantastical within the historical.  What came to me first was the idea of the masks and two women in Victorian dresses. I was more inclined to depict a historical mask rather than the surgical masks that were on my mind. I remembered that when researching Amadeus, I’d come across a type of historical mask women wore in the 18th century.  Women at that  time wore porcelain masks of a generic woman’s face. They were worn to protect their identity in political meetings or on the street, typically when they were searching for information as a way to avoid getting swept up in a scandal. I decided to draw upon these masks and similar historical masks rather than the surgical ones that had just begun to loom over us. I drew on my feelings of looming dread and on the themes of anonymity, fear, and mystery that often comes with masks. From that an image formed of a large, looming, glowing, otherworldly door. It was set down a Victorian red brick alleyway and two women in masks who beckoned you to join them. I was also greatly influenced by the strange atmosphere of Adonna Khare’s work and how her drawings were realistic, almost normal, yet had strange elements that drew the viewer in. I also took some inspiration from my previous charcoal drawing of the looming shadow. I liked the idea of something large and looming and so I continued on that idea in the door. 

I used white Bristol board and colored pencils for their smoothness and turpentine to smooth out the iridescent fabric. Keeping in mind my essential question; “how do I draw my fabric and costumes to express the essence and tell the story of my character,” I chose to make the fabric taffeta. It was a very popular fabric during Victorian times and the fabric in my opinion is also quite deep and mysterious in the right shades. The drawing is a medium-large format. I used perspective and space carefully. The image is intentionally depicted at an upwards angle, appearing as though the viewer has fallen backward and is cowering on the ground in hopes the audience would question if something is off. I used contrast in how I lit the scene and on the stark white masks to emphasize those parts of the drawing, while  adding drama and eeriness. The contrasting red lips on the white mask add a creepy but seductive vibe. Now I’ve explained almost everything, I hope you are left wondering a few things: Where does the door lead to and what is beyond it? Why do the women wear masks and what are under those masks? Maybe these questions are a little unsettling? Those that may feel unsettled are the people that don’t fear the dark itself but fear what they can not see within it. It is a natural and primal instinct to fear the unknown. Which is why a person does not fear the door or the mask itself but rather they should be afraid of what lies beyond.