Spencer Everhart: Autism Masks

For JAMA Jam September 2023, with the theme "Mask", I chose to create a series of prop designs for masks related to methods of autism masking. "Masking," in the context of autism (and other forms of neurodivergence more broadly) refers to behaviors adopted, usually consciously, to appear non-autistic to others. This is done to avoid bullying and disparagement in an effort to achieve stability and social acceptance. Even if it works, it is associated, in the long term, with greater levels of stress and anxiety in the masker. It exhausts one even further than what normal socialization entails. 

The Masks themselves:

This mask was designed around forcing "regular" eye contact, which can be stressful for people with autism. It's based on a traditional "Arlechhino" mask associated with the Carnival of Venice. The fingers holding open the eyes were inspired by A Clockwork Orange.

This mask was designed around the idea of not speaking out of turn, or rambling about a special interest. It's design was inspired by the "Moretta" masks of the Carnival of Venice, small masks that barely cover the face that must be held in the mouth to stay on, preventing speech. It was also informed by the "scold's bridle," a punitive mask originating in Europe that was used to physically prevent people (mostly women) from speaking, inflicting immense pain, and publicly humiliating the wearer

This final mask was centered around the difficulty of both managing emotions and in properly emoting for the situation. It's a chaotic jumble of faces because in social gatherings, knowing what to show, when, and how intensely can swiftly drain one's ability to experience anything but frustration. Yet another Carnival mask, this is a fairly contemporary style, usually with three faces, that I've doubled to increase disorientation.