These Collection materials comprise photographs, sketches, research files, plaster mask moulds, resin shells, actual masks and reproduced artefacts from two university research projects that involved Malcolm Knight as mask maker.
GREEK & ROMAN MASKS COLLECTION
Williams, Knight and Iurissevich also went to the Aeolian Museum on the Island of Lipari off the coast of Sicily to research the stock characters, figurines and other artifacts excavated by Bernabo Brea and Madaleine Cavalier.
See website: https://www.gla.ac.uk>research>classics
The first project was Masks for Menander, funded by The Association of Higher Universities Research Board at the University of Glasgow 2001-2004 and directed by Professor Elizabeth Moignard of the Department of Classical Art and Archaeology. The project officer was Dr Richard Williams. Project partners were SMPC and Venezia InScena.
Miniature terracotta masks from the Stevenson Collection at Kelvingrove Museum, Newcastle Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum were scanned and enlarged to life-scale using 3D imaging technology and shape-shifting software from Eyetronics in California. These models were 3D printed as shells; Malcolm Knight created moulds from these shells and re-made the masks in lightweight celastic and later in wool paper (carta lana). The masks were then fitted with helmets, painted and finished for use by live actors. Adriano Iurissevich of Venezia InScena brought together a company of highly-trained physical theatre actors from Italy, France and Spain to perform texts by Menander (4th Century BC Greek playwright) in the ancient theatre at Lecce and at The Catholic University of Milan. This work was filmed by Cassandra McGrogan of Karpus Projects Ltd Glasgow and made into a short film entitled Facing The Mask.
The second project was The Body and Mask in Ancient Theatre Space at Kings Visualisation Lab, Kings College, University of London 2005-2009, funded by The Association of Higher Universities Research Council. It was directed by Professor Richard Beacham and the Project officer was Dr Margaret Coldiron. Once again Malcolm Knight made life-size mask reconstructions from selected Greek & Roman terracotta originals. This time, however, after 3D imaging and rapid process development shell formation, he was provided coloured computer-generated images of each character for paint and finishing purposes.
See website: www.kvl.cch.kcl.ac.uk/masks/index