Ezra Williams / Underneath the Veil

My work references the forms of historical armor pieces, specifically chainmail face coverings that focus on concealing the head, eyes and mouth. I am interested in questioning what armor protects against in the modern age and how covering the features we use to recognize people changes our understanding of each other. Through ideas of anonymity I am able to explore what these historical armor forms would protect against now. The pieces hide the wearers recognizable features providing a space for them to exist outside of the world. I’m drawn to this idea of removing a person from the world socially instead of physically. In today's age people exist under several different veils that they don’t even realize, whether it’s the inherent anonymity of the internet or how highly individualistic our culture is in America. We exist together, next to each other, but we are all very separate. There is always something for us to hide behind so that we don’t need to show our real face. This is what I want to draw focus on and scrutinize. I want to understand how people feel when it’s no longer just a metaphorical mask that is looking back at them. I also want to question what we do when we are underneath the mask. The physical manifestation of this veil is unsettling, even frightening at times, but there is also an authenticity to it. Almost like a comfortable familiarity. We don’t like the idea of someone being able to see us without us being able to see them in turn, but this is the reality of the world. The wearer's vision is restricted, but they are still able to see out of the veils clearly, it acts like a one way mirror to look through and not be seen.

ezra.cooper01@gmail.com

@ezra.c.williams