Hi friends, thanks for reading the first of many LHS blogs. This will be a fun place for me to share a transparent view of my artistic process and enlighten you on some of the fun behind-the-scenes stuff that doesn't always make it to social media. Sound cool? Cool.
Somehow, we have made it to the heat of Summer 2024 already, which means I am swamped on all fronts (what a cool problem to have). I can finally share with you my latest top-secret project, which involved carefully constructing a fiberglass stage-mask for Kissing Candice. You can see photos of this piece in action over on Instagram, or by visiting the "Meet the Artist" tab.
Mike has been a pleasure to work with and I am very excited to share the end result of this project. Stepping into the world of resin-works has its unique challenges as compared to typical latex mask-making. The "Oni-morph" mask as we've been calling it, was designed by Miles Hatton and sculpted by me in WED clay. Upon approval, the sculpt was promptly molded in silicone and casted in multiple built-up layers of fiberglass for ensured durability. With the horns and teeth included, the final project resulted in four separate molds!
Mike first told me about the idea for this mask as "a combination of a Xenomorph and an Oni." Many of you who pay close attention to my art have probably realized by now that I am a big fan of juxtaposition, and I immediately fell in love with this concept. Even further, one of the first masks I ever received as a child was a hand-carved wooden Oni that was willed to me. I still have it to this day, and I've always appreciated the foreshadowing in that story.
Moving on, Mask-Fest is right around the corner! Lindemann Haunt Studios will be making its highly anticipated Mask-Fest debut in Cincinatti on September 13th. The old-heads around here know that this is four-years in the making! Looking forward to seeing you all there. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for some updated inventory here on the online store. I'll be throwing around some latex shortly.
Thanks for being here,
The Empire is Built at Night.
- Austin Lindemann
6/24/24