The Face: A Unique Sculpture Shaped by the Skull
Each human being carries within them the most beautiful of sculptures: their skull. Unlike a painting, which is merely a two-dimensional surface, a sculpture is a three-dimensional work, endowed with depth, relief, and a uniqueness that can never be fully replicated. Similarly, no skull is identical to another, and it is precisely this diversity that gives each face its unique beauty and character.
The face, as you see it every day in the mirror, is the visible surface of this three-dimensional work, but it’s only part of the story. The true depth of the face, its balance, and its uniqueness come from the bone structure beneath the skin, beneath the muscles, and beneath the fat.
These soft tissues are merely a “bark” covering the inner sculpture. This bark certainly plays a crucial role in animation and expression, but it is the cranial skeleton that gives the face its contours and volumes, providing an architecture that endures through the years.
A face cannot be compared to a painting, as a painting only has two dimensions: height and width. It is a representation of reality, but it lacks depth. Yet the beauty of the face lies in its three-dimensionality, in its curves, hollows, and volumes that vary depending on the angle from which it is observed. When you look at yourself in a mirror, you only see a two-dimensional image; however, the true face exists in space, with its angles, depths, and natural asymmetries.
The right side of the face is never identical to the left, and that is the richness of this living work. The bones of the skull are subtly arranged asymmetrically, and it is this arrangement that gives the face its unique shape. Every face is a unique combination of these three-dimensional elements, and it is not simply a surface to be smoothed. When one seeks to "correct" a face by considering only one dimension, merely pulling the skin without regard for the underlying structure, it betrays the depth and complexity of this sculpture.
The Mirror Lift: Revealing the Three-Dimensionality of the Face
It is precisely this three-dimensionality that I seek to respect and restore with my mirror lift method. Unlike techniques that treat the face in only one direction, my
approach works within all three axes of space. I do not merely “pull” on one area; I recreate the overall balance by considering the depth and bone structure of the face, ensuring that the result is harmonious from all angles.
In other words, what I strive to do with the mirror lift is to reveal the natural beauty of this sculpture, respecting its depth, its contours, and its three-dimensionality. It is not simply about treating a two-dimensional image, like a painting. It’s as if, as an artist, I am sculpting the material anew to reveal what lies beneath the surface, ensuring that every angle of the face, every line, and every curve is in harmony with the overall structure.
The depth of the face is not only aesthetic; it is also vital, as it embodies the uniqueness of each person. The face, with its three-dimensionality, its depth, and its natural asymmetries, is the very expression of identity. By respecting the inner sculpture, that is, the bone structure, and intervening on the soft tissues (skin, fat, muscles) in a balanced and harmonious way, we restore the face's vitality, dynamism, and natural beauty.
