The idea of making molds of peoples faces started as a fluke. A friend of mine, David Holloway, was trying out for the Amazing Race with his best friend, Will Chesser.
David and Will were great. They wanted to come to California and film themselves doing crazy stuff. David was joking about making a mold of his face and I thought “hmm…. I can do that.” I told him how easy it would be and that we should do it. To make a long story short, we did, and it was fun. They were completely willing to be the first test subjects. Yes, some things went wrong the first time, namely lots of hair loss, and yes they went wrong again the second time, though not quite as bad (again hair loss), but after that I had it down. Thanks Dave and Will – you guys were kind and brave!
I started thinking about how to expand the project and got the idea to do individual Hero sized pieces about people who were doing things I had a lot of respect for. I started with Will McCormack, Frantz St. Lewis, Jessica Cauffiel and Keith Malloy.
It wasn’t till I did my own face that I realized the scope of the project was too narrow.
It is an experience that is difficult to put into words. For 35 minutes, you put your life in the hands of others. You surrender the ability to speak. You breath through straws in your nose and you think. It is that last part that was the most interesting to me.
You think.
And when it is all over, and the mask comes off, you feel amazing. Not amazing like getting straight A’s, and not amazing like winning a big race, or amazing like you and your band performing a perfect set. No, it is different. The only way to describe it is to break the experience up into two parts; the physical and the mental.
First, the physical:
When the rubber is being applied, it feels wet and cool against the warmth of your skin. Most people, myself included, feel a moment of panic when the rubber covers the nostrils and seals the straws into place. This panic abates immediately when you realize:
A. the rubber will not go into your nose
B. breathing through straws really does work
C. I have vowed to take good care of you and would never put you in a position where you will be in harm’s way. Those of you who know me know this to be true and those of you who meet me for the first time realize this right away.
When the rubber sets, it absorbs your body’s natural warmth and your face feels as though it is being gently embraced. Some people at this point get an itch, either on their eyelids or their cheeks (this did not happen to me). If you point and show me where it itches, I then scratch that area and the sensation stops. After the rubber sets up, I then apply the plaster outer coat. By this time you are either deep in relaxation mode or starting to get stressed. Of all the faces I have done so far, only 2 have gotten stressed and I was able to help them through to the end. For those of you who think you might get stressed, I have tons of techniques to talk you through, including but not limited to, shoulder, arm and hand massage, focusing to relax specific areas that will not only relax that area, but help with the relaxation of other areas as well. Then there is my favorite, I will sing to you. If there is music already playing I will sing along and, if not, I will make it up on the spot.
When it is time for everything to come off, the rubber comes up over your chin and separates from your lips. As if it were for the first time in your life, you take in a deep breath. As the mask peels further off, the air that felt great rushing into your lungs now feels crisp and new against your face. You open your eyes and the world is bright and strange, yet familiar and reassuring. Your skin feels soft as a newborn baby, and clean. And for a moment, the world feels new as though you are seeing it through fresh eyes.
Second, the mental:
While there is definitely overlap between the mental and the physical there are some distinct differences. For most people this is the first time they have done this, or anything remotely like it. Fear, excitement, confusion and anticipation swirl around and present themselves in simultaneous and interchangeable moments. As the rubber is being brushed on, the brain fixates on it, following each stroke as it is pushed lower and lower down the face. By the time there is any reconciliation about whether or not the rubber will slide all the way down your nose or get into your mouth, I have moved to your neck and am done. It is at this stage, however, that most people need some sort of distraction. It takes about four to five minutes after I have stopped painting the rubber on for it to completely set, and then another 15 minutes for the plaster I apply to set. In this moment everything that can go through your head does. For those who have found the balance between tactful and honest, as opposed to kind and dishonest, this stage is hardly a problem. They don’t have skeletons or demons hiding in the corners of their brains waiting to pounce at a moment’s notice. For those who have not found that balance, 20 minutes can literally feel like a lifetime. Don’t get me wrong, though, it is not a litmus test for the righteous, I am just drawing the point that if there is something to think about, you will, and sometimes that is good and sometimes not.
All of this can be avoided, however, if there is music playing in the background. Music, unlike any other art form, has the power to put people at ease. It can turn the restless calm and make the insecure feel safe. Here, it acts as the chariot that whisks you through the 20 minutes of down time as you wait for rubber and plaster to set. When it is time to take everything off, the anticipation builds and when the rubber lifts up and off your face it is liberation in its purest form. One of the greatest things about being alive is having the ability to communicate when and how you want. So even when we voluntarily surrender the right to do so, when that right is returned to us it feels nothing short of spectacular. There is an immediate sense of pride and accomplishment that triggers a rush of adrenalin and hence natural high. Some people take a moment to mull through what they just went through and then slowly recount the experience, while others immediately launch into how it felt. Often times this process of recounting, fast or slow, is more for themselves as a means of processing what they just went through than a story they are actually telling me.
When all of the emotions settle and we have talked it all through, I pour a resin copy to leave with people. I am always amused by how they respond to seeing their face for the first time in the third dimension. We only know ourselves through the mirror or through photographs and here now we are seeing ourselves in our true 3D form for the first time. It is always a surprise.
Why this project is so amazing for me:
Art comes from experience and experience comes from interaction. More than anything in the world, I LOVE interaction. I have always said that everyone on this planet knows at the very least one thing I don’t. Therefore, the more people I meet the better chance I have of learning whatever that one thing is from everyone I come into contact with. This project, more than anything else I have ever created, combines interactional experience and art all in one fell swoop. It takes me to the homes of strangers from all walks of life and allows me to interact with them in a deeply personal way, forging new friendships with every face I mold. Life does not get better than this.
How do I make it all happen:
There is more than one answer to this question, however, for the sake of not boring you to death, I will cut the fat so to speak and get right to the meat of it. I do it with help. I have an AMAZING crew:
Kerith Henderson (A.K.A 24 Kerith Gold) and her partner, Allyona Sevanesian, hustle behind the scenes lining up all the people on my wish list and more. In truth there is not enough that can be said about this dynamic duo. Batman and Robin wish they had the chemistry that these two have. From the moment I met Kerith she was like the sister I never had. There is not a kinder more hard working individual in the business. She is the BEST. So, if you need help getting the word out there about something amazing you are doing contact her. (crazies need not apply)
8913 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite #104
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
310.770.4764 cell
310.657.3245 fax
Christopher Finney (A.K.A Finney Finn) Is in charge of all things technical. He runs the camera, monitors the sound, etc. He is a hard-working, creative young man with a keen eye for detail. Best of all, his cynicism and wit are unparalleled.
http://www.new.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=564640533&ref=ts
Last, but certainly not least, there is Erin Ryan (A.K.A…well, she does not have a nick name yet, sorry Frantz Mary Ryan does not have the right ring, but we are working on it). Erin is the best up-and-coming sculptor I have seen to date. Her work ethic is superb and her work is incredible because of it. She is quiet but don’t be mistaken, she is already a step ahead of you waiting for you to catch up.
Now that you have the who, what, where, when, how, and why, I will start posting some photos of each session and talking about the experience I had doing each individual’s face and how it was working with them. Be warned: to date everyone has been amazing to work with so if I sound like a broken record when it comes to praise I am only telling it the way it happened. I will not embellish for the good or bad of anyone. I will only relate the experience as best as I can remember it. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed doing it.
