Mask

Mask: Plaster of Paris, Decoration: various ribbon, crown of gold ribbon over metal wire with gold star, black paint - Private Collection - Not For Sale


Artists Notes:
Masks are so intriguing and take endless forms. There is almost always something powerful about them and many people find them a bit frightening. As this is a mask of my own face, created on a peaceful and joyful day, it brings me serenity when I look at it.

I made this while on a weekend spirituality retreat. We teamed up into two and took turns laying strips of Plaster of Paris over each others faces to create masks. All of it was an intense process, its hard to lie still while someone lays wet heavy strips of goo over your face. When it was my turn to lay the strips, I focused so intently on trying to make them smooth and nice. What is most interesting for me about the final product, is that we had the choice to decorate them any way we wanted, and a lot of people decorated and adorned theirs, some even so much that the face could no longer be seen. As I thought about this as a metaphor for self, I took from it that I was pleased with the simple version of myself, and that felt very nice.