"Night Sky Headdress" papier-mache', measures 16" x 24", acrylic, beads, wire and netting. Silly me, some days I'm in my studio creating masks with papier-mache' . I have made many masks with lots of different materials, this headdress emerged out of my memories of my mother's hats complete with mysterious veils. In later years she would let my sister and I try them on and imagine ourselves in a 1930-40's movies. From that memory I created this veiled headdress adding beads, representing stars, planets and moons, even the veil torn and sewn together carries stars. (click to enlarge) I believe all artists would benefit from occasionally making masks or any other form of unfamiliar art project ...a way of breaking out of routines. I would suggest a great Maskmaking book by Carole Sivin . Here is a quote I found in her book :"Whether ritual, funerary or for any spectacle, the mask is an instrument of ecstasy. He who wears one is no longer himself...he becomes 'other' even when the mask is his own portrait." Miricia Eliade, Encyclopedia of World Art
Try it as a spirit lifter, energizer and general refresher and maybe even as a transformational piece...who knows, art making isn't always about building a career and sometimes silly and fun is good medicine!
