On the side of this piece there is text saying: "Designers are also citizens, and we have a responsibility to use our images in ways that benefit society", as a quote from the designer, Nicholas Blechman. It is debatable on what kind of message he is trying to convey with this particular design. I get WWI vibes from this design. The cords at the end of the mask are iconic for WWI gas masks and the flat top to the helmet is much like what the American and British soldier's used. The word "Empire" overhanging the subjects suggest a totaltarian feel because of it's dark army green color being reflected in expressionless masks. The reflection of color could suggest that that's all they see. The smaller gas masks are linked to the larger mask by their breathing tubes, indicating that the smaller ones need the larger one to survive or that the larger one is feeding off of what the smaller ones have. It's up to interpretation.

Source: Contemporary Graphic Design, pg. 64, By Taschen