The oldest mask in the archaeological record is a stone mask dated around 7000 BCE. Masks have captured the imagination of humans and cropped up independently across the globe in multiple different cultures spanning thousands of years. The use of masks has been tied to contexts that reflect a wide range of human behaviors and emotions such as war, theater, ritual, play, and celebration. To put on a mask is in and of itself an act of transformation, and we find it as compelling as the many before us must have.
This project is an exploration of an imaginary past and the way that folklore and traditions are created. These masks exist as a material tribute to our specific time and place, and yet we took great care to imbue them with a sense of timelessness. It was important to us that the source materials were inexpensive and readily available, coming mostly in the form of recycled cardboard, thrifted fabrics, and found objects.
This project is an exploration of an imaginary past and the way that folklore and traditions are created. These masks exist as a material tribute to our specific time and place, and yet we took great care to imbue them with a sense of timelessness. It was important to us that the source materials were inexpensive and readily available, coming mostly in the form of recycled cardboard, thrifted fabrics, and found objects.
We celebrate the capability of the masks to tell stories of their own as well as the role they can play as a fertile ground for new stories the viewer may bring to them.
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Conceptualization & Construction - Casey Doe, Nick Sekits
Photography - Jake Yulo
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Stevens Gallery for providing space to display this project. Specifically, we'd like to thank Em perry for their patience and assistance. We’d also like to thank all of the people who were willing to devote their time to embodying these characters and breathing life into them. Peter Leyden, Tori Londrigan, and Nick Rapp, we are deeply grateful, and we owe you a drink.
✱ ✱ ✱
Conceptualization & Construction - Casey Doe, Nick Sekits
Photography - Jake Yulo
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Stevens Gallery for providing space to display this project. Specifically, we'd like to thank Em perry for their patience and assistance. We’d also like to thank all of the people who were willing to devote their time to embodying these characters and breathing life into them. Peter Leyden, Tori Londrigan, and Nick Rapp, we are deeply grateful, and we owe you a drink.