Gallery: The Next Generation of the Death Mask Is Freakishly Beautiful

  • Image may contain Ornament Jewelry Accessories Accessory Gemstone Amethyst and Ring
    Yoram Reshef
    01

    18-Mask-vespers.jpg

    Vespers is a new project from the MIT Media Lab's Mediated Matter Group and 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys.
  • Death masks have traditionally been used to capture the visage of the recently dead.
    Yoram Reshef
    02

    01Mask-1A-Vespers2.jpg

    Death masks have traditionally been used to capture the visage of the recently dead.
  • Image may contain Crystal
    Yoram Reshef
    03

    31-Mask-vespers.jpg

    It's a reimagining of death masks.
  • Image may contain Jewelry Accessories and Accessory
    Yoram Reshef
    04

    06-Mask-vespers2.jpg

    Instead of making the masks from plaster, as it has traditionally been done, Neri Oxman and her group 3-D printed the masks from resin.
  • Image may contain Skin Human Person Sphere and Female
    Danielle van Zadelhoff
    05

    08-vespers.jpg

    The exterior of the masks are smooth.
  • Image may contain Accessories Accessory and Jewelry
    Yoram Reshef
    06

    11-Mask-vespers.jpg

    While the interior is 3-D printed with different materiality and textures.
  • Image may contain Nature Outdoors Human and Person
    Yoram Reshef
    07

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    Translucently colored resin.
  • The masks' colors are meant to represent those used in religious rituals around the world.
    Yoram Reshef
    08

    07vespers.jpg

    The masks' colors are meant to represent those used in religious rituals around the world.
  • Image may contain Jewelry Accessories Accessory and Gemstone
    Yoram Reshef
    09

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    The masks from three angles.
  • Image may contain Crystal Animal Invertebrate Wasp Bee Andrena Insect and Hornet
    Yoram Reshef
    10

    05-Mask-vesoers.jpg

    The interior of the masks are developed from the wearer's facial features.
  • Image may contain Art
    Yoram Reshef
    11

    28-Mask-vespers.jpg

    As well as the air flow of her last breath.
  • Image may contain Plant Animal Seafood Lobster Food Sea Life and Art
    Yoram Reshef
    12

    03vespers.jpg

    Eventually, the channels on the interior will be used to guide microorganisms through the mask.
  • Image may contain Animal Invertebrate and Insect
    Yoram Reshef
    13

    14-Mask-vespers.jpg

    This will effectively turn Vespers into living masks.
  • Image may contain Accessories Accessory and Jewelry
    Yoram Reshef
    14

    16-Mask-vespers.jpg

    The front and back of Vespers.
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