The Mask (2017) is a painting of a mask my grandfather, Miles Finley (1912-2008), made me in 2001.
I created this piece and others such as Collaboration (2017) and Renaissance (2017), in order to archive Miles’ art, while inspiring my own work.
My grandfather came from an artistic family. His father was a wood carver and his eldest sister, Hetty (1908-1991), was a well-regarded sculptor.
His work often combined both of these two skills, as he worked in wood to create character masks and functional sculptural pieces.
The mask which inspired the painting, The Mask (2017), depicts a face using found materials.
Behind the Mask
I recently restored (and renewed) Miles’ painting, “Jessy”, and found inspiration in the minimalist composition.
The simplicity of the facial features also appealed to me, and this was a feature of Miles’ other pieces.
The Mask (2017) is the first time I have tried to translate a sculpture into a two-dimensional form.
In creating the mask, Miles, incorporated wood, fabric, shower curtain rings, electrical wire and door handles, along with paint and pen. It’s an original work and one which I have always adored.
The Result
The Mask (2017) shows the face we put on in life, and how there can be beauty in simplicity.
I wanted The Mask (2017) to present with the richness and tactility of the original piece. The challenge was to express this in a medium where these features were not necessarily present.
The Mask (2017) is a compendium to the original work and will be displayed alongside it. Using a different medium to present the same piece was an interesting process and one which allowed me to see it through new eyes.
The result is an unusually striking portrait, which honours the creativity of the original piece and archives my grandfather’s art work for generations to come.