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Masks

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Why do we make masks?

To wear or be worn?

From the beginnings of man sociology as well as many other ologies we have created masks.
Do we create the mask or doe sht emask create us?

Are we losing something or gaining something?

A transformation happens, are we running from or running towards?
Is it a transformation or simply a realisation?

Are we more real wearing or less real wearing?
Are we more real not wearing or less real not wearing?
To wear reality or be worn reality?

Are we hiding behind or we showing infront?

Is power to be less than human or more than human necessary for us to accept our face?
Is the power the masks face or is the power the faces mask?
What becomes more real, the face that mask hides or the mask that face reveals?
To wear power or be worn power?

To wear out or worn in?

Do we accept more truth for it or do we deny more lies against it? (not the same question)
Do we accept more lies for it or do we deny more truth against it? (not the same question)

Is this exposing more humanity or hiding more humanity?
Is it a human-ity thing or is it an unhuman-ity thing?

What classification of human is that which could never wear one?
What classification of human is that which can only wear one?
Do we all wear masks and if so is this not proof that it is part of what makes us human?
Are women more prone to wearing masks because more women wear make-up?
Is this trying to hide in or is this trying to show off?
For equalities sake.
What is the equivalent make-up that men wear to show or hide?
Did men have less time access to opportunity to hide or show?
Might have something to do with the masks clergy/clerics wear and why most clergy/clerics are male?

Are we covering or are showing?
Is beauty a needed mask or beauty the needed none?
Do you wear beauty or are you worn by beauty?

Are you more free if you can wear one and can change?
Are you more free if you can wear one and cant change?
Are you more imprisoned if you cant wear one and cant change?
Are you more imprisoned if you cant wear one and can change?

What are masks for and what are masks against?

Do they serve any positive purpose?
Do they serve any negative purpose?

Delusion or deduction?
Loss or discovery?
Craze or sane?
Hide or find?
Fake or real?

Wear or worn?

(i really have no idea where to put this, perhaps someone could also answer, what is the root of mans mask making wearing and finaly tearing the veil away? and where in the human does it have place and origin and what part of the human is the inspection and answering and final contribution or disolution? From what part or parts of the human whole does it add toward or subtract away?)

@sometime sun,

I own more than 20 masks from Africa, most of which come from Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali but also from elsewhere in West Africa. They are very abstract and stylized for the most part, and were worn as part of masquerades. I have read some critical interpretation of African and other 'traditional' masks that suggests that it is missing the point to look at the mask as a static thing, as opposed to part of a whole ritual ensemble. For this reason, a mask won by a 'tribe' as part of a ritual probably should not be seen as much different than any other ritual attire, like the cardinal's mitre.

@Aedes,

Aedes;122071 wrote:

I own more than 20 masks from Africa, most of which come from Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Mali but also from elsewhere in West Africa. They are very abstract and stylized for the most part, and were worn as part of masquerades. I have read some critical interpretation of African and other 'traditional' masks that suggests that it is missing the point to look at the mask as a static thing, as opposed to part of a whole ritual ensemble. For this reason, a mask won by a 'tribe' as part of a ritual probably should not be seen as much different than any other ritual attire, like the cardinal's mitre.

Have you ever worn any of the masks you have?
Did they change you or did you change them?

@sometime sun,

No, just put them up on the wall -- which is exactly the opposite of what they were designed for (i.e. not to be a static spectacle, an isolated work of art, but rather a dynamic part of a cultural event).

But I love the abstraction, the stylization, and I have them both as mementos of my travels and an acknowledgment of the fascinating, complex cultures I've encountered.

Unfortunately very little of my African art is up right now. When my wife and I moved into our 'mature' grownup house a few years ago, there didn't seem to be a good place for them, and now the walls are getting covered in baby photos. Some day when I advance in tenure and I get a nice office I'll put them up there.

@sometime sun,

i own a few masks. one i bought from an artist on etsy its a insect mask. i really like masks. it would be interesting to wear a mask for a month straight, and see if it would have any effect on your personality.

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