Charlie Bridgham

12/6/19
Sellers 3/4
Artist Statement
In this project, we were asked to do two main things. We wrote an essay on how
we have been socialized by multiple agents. This essay would explain what
socialization can do to your identity and how different people experience socialization id
separate ways. We were also required to create a mask the represents our identity. For
my mask I chose to show how I try to appear to others: a very colorful, vibrant
personality. I tried to create an effect similar to tie-dye with paint on the nose and mouth
portion of the mask. The only color in the mask at all is in this section. On the sides near
the ears or cheeks, I made a design with arrows to allude to positive and negative
agents of socialization. I left this black and white to show contrast and how someone
could be torn between good and evil. On the part with the black arrows on white, I
added many more than just the two larger arrows to show how many different choices
we have in our cycle of socialization. Moving up to the top of the mask, I drew a
complex, and somewhat brain-like design. I drew this in black and white because I
wanted to create an image of how I do not always see myself as happy, colorful, or
vibrant. I added a blindfold to show how blind we all are to what is coming next in life.
No one knows exactly what the future holds for them and we are oblivious to many
things that socialize them and shape their identity.