Mat Collishaw
The Mask of Youth, 2018
Acrylic, aluminium, brass, electrical circuitry, glass, paint, PIR motion sensor, silicone, squirrel hair, steel, wood
132 x 118 x 25 cm
52 x 46 1/2 x 9 7/8 in.
52 x 46 1/2 x 9 7/8 in.
Unique
Courtesy of the artist and Brooke Benington
Further images
In The Mask of Youth, Mat Collishaw reimagines the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, playing on the tension between image, power, and truth. Referencing the historical “Mask of Youth”...
In The Mask of Youth, Mat Collishaw reimagines the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, playing on the tension between image, power, and truth. Referencing the historical “Mask of Youth” used to standardise depictions of the queen, Collishaw creates a haunting sculptural portrait that moves. The exposed mechanisms suggest an eternally preserved mind constantly at work behind the facade. Collishaw’s work reflects on the enduring legacy of curated identity. Elizabeth’s idealised portrait becomes a metaphor for our own age of filtered realities and performative selfhood.
