Mask?!

Definition: The mask is an object worn over or in front of the face to hide the identity of a person and by its own features to establish another being. This essential characteristic of hiding and revealing personalities or moods is common to all masks. As cultural objects they have been used throughout the world in all periods and have been as varied in appearance as in their use and symbolism.


A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. 

There are various types of masks created by various of races for various purposes. 

What I have research about: 

There are mainly 3 categories for the usage of masks. 

1. Masks in performance - widely used to represent the Performing Arts, and specifically                                                                                  Drama.

Bronze mask type Kalkriese. 
[a mask without ears and low hanging hinge on forehead. Probably worn in combination with a Weisenau type of helmet with two cheek pieces.] I like the combination of the colour of the mask.

Ancient Rome: Masks is referred to an individual who had full Roman citizenship. A citizen could demonstrate his or her lineage through imagines, death masks of the ancestors. Rites of passage, such as initiation of young members of the family, or funerals, were carried out at the shrine under the watch of the ancestral masks. At funerals professional actors would wear these masks to perform deeds of the lives of the ancestors, thus linking the role of mask as a ritual object and in theatre.

2. Ritual Masks - magical or religious

 [disguise a penitent or preside over important ceremonies; they may help mediate with spirits, or offer a protective role to the society who utilise their powers]

There are many races have their own masks. These are among the research that i'm interested in.  

Africa: Use masks for religious ceremonies enacted to communicate with spirits and ancestors. Artist who carves holds a respected position in tribal society because of the work that he or she creates, embodying not only complex craft techniques but also spiritual/social and symbolic knowledge. Many African masks represent animals. Some African tribes believe that the animal masks can help them communicate with the spirits who live in forests or open savannas.

It may also indicate a culture's ideal of feminine beauty. The mask name Fang  (above) from people of Gabon have highly arched eyebrows, almost almond-shaped eyes and a narrow chin. The raised strip running from both sides of the nose to the ears represent jewellery. The whiteness of the face represent the whiteness and beauty of the spirit world. Only men wear the masks and perform the dances with high stilts despite the masks representing women. 

Golden masks excavated in Kalmakareh,Lorestan, Iran. First half of first Millennium 

3. Mask in theatre- theatre traditions

[particularly non-western theatre forms. They also continue to be a vital force within contemporary theatre, and their usage takes a variety of forms.]

Middle East: Theatre was initially of a ritual nature, dramatising man's relationship with nature, the gods, and other human beings. It grew out of sacred rites of myths and legends performed by priests and lay actors at fixed times and often in fixed locations. 

Ancient Egypt juggling

Folk theatre — mime, mask, puppetry, farce, juggling - had a ritual context in that it was performed at religious or rites of passage such as days of naming, circumcisions, and marriages. 

  Mime 

Some 2500 years ago, kings and commoners alike were entertained by dance and mime accompanied by music where the dancers often wore masks.

Other than this there is occupational mask such as GEISHA.  

- Traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance and games 

- In the early stages of Japanese history, there were female entertainers: saburuko (serving girls) were mostly wandering girls whose families were displaced from struggles in the late 600s.

- By 1800, being a geisha was considered a female occupation (though there are still a handful of male geisha working today). 

-The traditional makeup of an a geisha features a thick white base with red lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows. 

- It is use to disguise the personalities and work professionally just like clowns. 

And there is MIME.

-  A theatrical medium or as a performance art or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech.

- Miming is to be distinguished from silent comedy, in which the artist is a seamless character in a film or sketch

- Mime is also a popular art form in street theatre and busking. 

- Traditionally, these sorts of performances involve the actor/actress wearing tight black and white clothing with white facial makeup.

IN CONCLUSION,
We have choose occupational mask to express our understanding towards mask by.

Reality of the social world made each of us ought to be someone else. Our appearance, hobbies, friends that we are with and of course our personalities. 

If we are not one of the major group of people, automatically we will fall into the "alien" category. No one will want to talk to you and being all alone by yourself. 

In order to get rid the loneliness, our main character, Eva tries to fulfill what the social world wants her to be.

 A girl who loves traditional art very much is being controlled by her parents. The way that strangers look at her traditional fashion leads her to depress. Eventually she wears a mask and a tradition umbrella to disguise her real personality into a form of geisha. 

No one would dare to come close her but here comes Ken, the mime that tries to approach her with his positive personality. Only he sees Eva's loneliness.

 What will happen towards the end? watch the clip and find out. :) 

Reference:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mime

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geisha

4. all pictures retrieved from Google. 

Thanks for the hard work of the whole crew! Especially the editing part done by Karen Leong and Erica! :D

2 dimensional design : Principle of design

The Principles are concepts used to organize or arrange the structural elements of design. 
Principles applied to the elements of design that bring them together into one design. How one applies these principles determines how successful a design may be.

As William Lidwell's stated in Universal Principles of Design:

The best designers sometimes disregard the principles of design. When they do so, however, there is usually some compensating merit attained at the cost of the violation. Unless you are certain of doing as well, it is best to abide by the principles. 

This is the REFERENCE (text)


Our work is to use these elements of design by using square grid to make one design on a board. 

1. Asymmetrical balance (Informal balance) 
Asymmetrical balance occurs when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or smaller items are placed further away from the center of the screen than larger items. One darker item may need to be balanced by several lighter items.
                                                    

My work

War of women. 
Inspiration from toilet signage. :)
It is not equally balance as the weight of the woman are not the same. One is heavier than the other. But still there is a sense of balance.

 2. Symmetrical balance (Formal balance)

Symmetrical balance is mirror image balance. If you draw a line down the center of the page, all the objects on one side of the screen are mirrored on the other side (they may not be identical objects, but they are similar in terms of numbers of objects, colors and other elements). Sometimes they are completely identical.

                                        My Work

                                                                                                        

Pouring water.

 I have used the simplest definition of symmetrical balance, which is  both sides are identical to each other. It has a sense of movement of water flowing.

This is the REFERENCE for both balance principle. 

                                                           

3. Scale 

Dimensional element's defined by other elements of design-size relative to other art, its surroundings, or in relation to human size.  Unusual or even unexpected scale can certainly be used as a attention grabber. Scale can attract in different ways.  It can be use to draw attention to the unexpected or exaggerated - this is often the case in advertising.

My Work

Liters of tear drops.
 It has the effect of the larger water drops are coming to the front while the small ones are at the back.

REFERENCE for the definition.

4. Rhythm and Repetition

A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements within a visual composition with the goal of creating harmony i.e. a rhythmic feeling. In visual arts it is the flow and movement of graphical element's). It is a principle based on repetition. It a distinct reputation of elements that are the same or slightly changed.

My Work

Present of surprises! 

It fulfills the principle because the square girds and the lines are being repeated. The way that the square grids are arranged and the shape of the lines create a sense of movement. I have slightly change the lines of each boxes.

Here is the REFERENCE for the definition.

5. Dominance
Dominance is created by contrasting size, positioning, color, style, or shape. The focal point should dominate the design with scale and contrast without sacrificing the unity of the whole.

                                        
                                         My Work

A book holds a house of gold. (书中自有黄金屋)

Inspiration from the Chinese proverb. The house is the dominance of the whole picture. It has the biggest scale and others are complementing the house. 

REFERENCE for the definition

6. Unity and variety

Harmony is the condition of agreement with the use of all visual elements within a composition.  A number of methods promote Unity. These include:

-Proximity

-Repetition

 -Continuation element continues to use the line, an edge, or a direction.

My Work

One world!
We are living in a world of variety but still we are in unity. Various of ethnics, culture and language. We don't group animals, plants and objects that surround us everyday as the same level with us. But when we see from a different perspective, still we are ONE. Variety of creatures on the world, Unite as we are living on the same world. 

REFERENCE for the definition

7. Dynamic and Static

• Dynamics is the arrangement of visual elements in a composition to suggest the illusion of movement or direction. The effective use of dynamics in a design can add an emotive characteristic to your design making it appear restful and calming or active and energetic. 

• Static composition means that the majority of lines on a page are horizontal or vertical. The theory says that horizontal and vertical lines have a soothing, calm, or tranquil effect on the observer 

MY WORK

Tunnel of cars. [Dynamic]

 I have use directional method. It is the use of graphic elements used in such as way that implies a visual connection to lead the eyes to move in a particular direction.

Food glorious food. [static]

I have arrange the square grid in horizontal and vertical way. Although is not in line and in sequence, it is still static. It won't give you an illusion of moving.  

1)  REFERENCE of text

2) REFERENCE of text and pictures

In conclusion: These principles should be fully utilize in order to become a good designer.

2 Dimensional Design : Steampunk

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT STEAMPUNK?

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery.

Especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century, or a post apocalyptic environment.

Therefore, steampunk works are often set in an alternate history of the 19th century's British Victorian era or American "Wild West". 

Reference of the text: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

for more info CLICK HERE :] (reference of the picture)

British Victorian era.. 

a period of commercial depression

Queen Victoria 1837-1901

Why is it name Victorian era? 

Queen Victoria was the reigning monarch at this time. 

Here “Victorian” is not meant to indicate a specific culture, but rather references a time period and an aesthetic: the industrialized 19th century. 

Next, Where did steampunk come from?

The Victorian period had its own science fiction, most famously embodied by the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Throughout the 20th century there have been later-day science fiction stories set in the Victorian period. However, the term “steampunk” was not coined until the late 1980s, when author K. W. Jeter used it humorously to describe a grouping of stories set in the Victorian period written during a time when near-future cyberpunk was the prevailing form of science fiction. 

 Tim Powers, James P. Blaylock, and K.W. Jeter

reference http://www.babbagepress.com/html/blaylock.html

Where does the sci-fi come in?

The “proto-steampunk” stories of the 19th century can be seen as a parallel to our own science fiction; that is, a view of the future from the present. For the Victorians, this meant imagining a future that looks dramatically un-modern to modern eyes. In example of submarines, space travel, aircraft and mechanized life were all imagined by the Victorians.

Where does the steam come in?

Steampunk’s steam references more than simply the technology itself, although steam engines are a vital aspect of life in a steampunk world. Steam more generally signifies a world in which steam technology is both dominant and prolific. Steampunk takes inspiration from these changes and applies them to whatever culture it influences.

Where does the punk come in?

Ironically, it doesn’t. As was mentioned earlier, the term “steampunk” is a tongue in cheek reference to the cyberpunk genre rather than a reference to the punk subculture. Moreover, “punk” in the context of punk rock was the product of very specific circumstances following the Second World War, which makes it fundamentally distinct from the Victorian aesthetic that inspires steampunk.

Conclusion: Steampunk = Steam and punk!

Nahh... is VictorianscienceFiction :)

Reference of the text: http://www.gdfalksen.com/Steampunk%20

“Imaginary science is better and more fun than real science.” K.W. Jeter

I have assign to make my own steampunk drawing and shade it with straight lines only. What I did was I chose my favorite scenery of Victorian era and animals.

My Final outcome: 

                               

My opinion

What I want to tell through this drawing is that when technologies conquer our world, everything is too late. Humans are digging their own grave. 

THAT"S ABOUT IT.THANK YOU! :)

Research for comedies

Comedies, everyone loves it, don't cha? :) haha.

as mr. charles said that no one doesn't like to laugh. laughter is our best medicine and a way to start a friendship. comedies are always my favorite type of movie. :) 

what is laughter? :D

"Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group — it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others." by wikipedia.

For me, i might just say laughter is a expression when i'm happy. [:

So, what  makes people laugh? :D :) :} :] :v :> 

1. most laughter did not follow what looked like jokes. People laughed at the end of normal sentences, in response to unfunny comments or questions such as “Look, it’s Andre,” or “Are you sure?”. Even attempts at humour that provoked laughter didn’t sound that funny. Provine reports that the lines that got the biggest laughs were ones such as “You don’t have to drink, just buy us drinks,” and “Do you date within your species?”. 

2. laughter always involves a similar pattern of whooping noises. Deaf people who have never heard a sound still make laughing noises. The laughing noises produced by humans share many of the acoustic properties of speech, further evidence laughter is hijacking the brain and body apparatus that we use for breathing and talking.

3. Just listening to someone laugh is funny.

4. We laugh because we feel like it, because our brains make us, and because we want to fit in socially.
for more info >> 1. click here

  what did i found out more?  

no, not this. :) below! 

Styles of Humor

(A) The first type of humor takes life and makes it funny. It could be a normal situation or event. You would simply take it and turn it into a joke. Many refer to this as the "Laugh at Life" humor style. 

(B) The next humor style is the sarcastic type. This type of humor involves being a bit dark, sharp and even a little on the biting side. When watching those in stand up comedy that specialize in sarcasm, you will find that their expressions, their words and the way that they present themselves make the sarcasm extremely funny.

(C) The third most popular type of humor is pointing fun at the expense of others. You should be especially cautious when doing this and make it general, unless you have previous consent from the individual that you will be poking fun at.
for more info>> 2.  click here

After all this info, i guess i know more about comedies. is not easy to be a real joker. I love to make people laugh too. haha. making people laugh makes me laugh. but doing stand up comedy alone is not an easy task. envy those people! i'm nervous and do not have much idea what should i do. 

so i have watch many comedies and chose the ones i love the most :) 

Firstly, Stephen Chow is one of the best of best comedy king! i have watch his movies since i was in primary school :) this video is suitable for those who don't understand cantonese much. 

His joke and expression is really funny! even though i have watch for how many times? 1000 times? haha. just joking. but i have never get bored! seriously. :D LOL 

what do i love him is actually his great sense of humor and he is really creative. sometimes even black humor too. haha.

 His movie style has known as Mo lei tau (無厘頭)，which means mindless; a rather crass form of humour he often employs in movies.

Jim Carrey is one of my favourite! :] his expression is the best too! exaggerate acting but funny. real madness :) 

 

One of the movie i love name liar liar. :} yes man is really funny and educational too. a must watch movie :)

Next, is nigahiga! hehe. he is funny in his way too! what he does is he have a serious face when he is saying something funny and he always been acting in different roles in the same video. he can speak really fast too! haha. this video is about bromance. 

The final outcome : My work is more base on ryan's. I can say, stand up comedy is not easy at all. seriously! haha. at least i have tried my best and have fun of being a fake comedian :) below is my video. don't expect too much. haha

THE END :D