Masks offer a unique sort of transformation. They are full of paradox: masks reveal and magnify more than they conceal. The simplest puppet can evoke complex emotional reactions. Despite their obvious real presence as objects, mask and puppets can so engage the audience that we forget they are there. We are just watching the play unfold as they transport us to the limits of our imagination.
I’ve often found that people aren’t quite sure what I mean when I say I’m a mask maker. Chris Hatcher of Field Guide Films gives a terrific peek behind the curtains in this video.