“Beneath the Mask: Reflections”

Works by Seph Trask

For many years, I've made works that focus on how humans perceive themselves and interact with society around them; this overarching project is entitled Beneath the Mask. The series within the project titled, Beneath the Mask: Reflections, turns the mirror back around toward myself, and through it I explore my own perceptions and interactions with society. This work is inspired by the time I spent in the company of fellow artists in a village called Hilmsen in the area formerly known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), a remote area free from distractions from the outside world. The time spent in their company provided me the opportunity to meditate on how new bonds can form between people, how those bonds are impacted by previous trauma, and how they can influence future thought processes and decisions. Those ideas, coupled with the shared experiences of my companions shaped the narrative for this body of work.

The wood wall mounted sculptures were designed using a series of blind contour drawings created from pictures taken during the residency in Hilmsen that I transformed into abstract forms. Each form is created to be a continuation of the narrative of removing one’s “mask” through the acceptance of those around them. The collection includes a series of four wall-mounted, abstract, stacked laminate wood sculptures finished in phthalo blue, phthalo green, and a faux rust patina, with each treatment signifying a different member of the group in Hilmsen. In addition, there is one bronze and three cast iron mask sculptures, cold relicts balancing out the warmness of the wood sculptures. This duality of coldness and warmth personifies the struggle that is the human experience.