who
are you
and who are
you
not—is
there a point
where
each merges
into the other
where
you meet
the both/and
neither–
where it
doesn’t really matter?
The Kick-About #15 features lithography illustrations by Eric Ravilious from the book High Street. I was immediately drawn to the shop full of masks, above. I’ve drawn, painted, stitched and collaged many masks over the years, and I also have quite a few that I’ve collected, stored and waiting for a place to be displayed.
For the prompt, I decided to focus on Mexican animal masks, since the animal masks in the shop illustration seemed to be the most prominent element.
Masking has a long history in the indigenous culture of the Americas, and animals are commonly used in dances, ritual, and ceremonies, often combined with Christian stories and characters.
Masks are vessels in which a powerful energy is stored, an energy than can help cross the boundaries between human and animal, creating a co-existence of spirits in the same body.
I confess that once I got started with these it was hard to stop.
The technique I used was the Rorschach monoprint–I painted one side and folded the paper in the center and pressed down to create a mirror image.
and if they take me
to heart, if they pull me through
their own openings
will I flow, float dreaming in
side their abiding presence–
no, not dead, but yet
not of the living—unbound
by movement or time,
reconnected, emerged as
an ancestor to myself
what came out
was not the same as
what went in
I liked the bat so much I did it twice, once on red paper and once on white.
animals
do not need our gods
to exist
K. 
Mystical post, more so the paper looked ancient and drawings, drawing you in very real, aware in there reating form.
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Thanks. I took my inspiration directly from the Mexican maskmakers.
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I have been working on a film project, in it a sequence comes where i needed masks for, and internet showed me your door. Where do you live though? And are your masks available to use?
Narayan
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No, I can’t get them out of storage right now. I wonder if there’s a collector or museum near you that might help out. Where do you live?
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Well, it is near impossible, as what i seek is various forms of bird and few spirit animal masks.
Lets see. Have to find a way or will let the way lead me as it lead me to your mystical world.
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Good luck!
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As in your post somewhere you mentioned, are you collecting animal, bird masks in physical form.too ?
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Yes, I do have a physical collection of masks. All in storage until I find a proper home.
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i am certain masks will find their home when they decide to.
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I hope it’s soon!
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A bestiary, Kerfe! What delights! I’m trying to get a short story finished for my response this week, and the clock is ticking! I’m already looking forward to getting all these masks into the mix – pow!
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Thanks Phil. The prompts are always inspiring. A proper bestiary is also a good idea.
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I love these! Some of them looked like different creatures to me, but that’s the whole point of it I imagine. I mentioned a bat yesterday. One was flitting around the house. They ought to be slowing down and going into hibernation but It’s still too warm.
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Thanks Jane. I agree, some look nothing like what they are supposed to be. But all of life is subject to artistic interpretation.
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They all look very definitely like something though, which is strange.
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Wow! What a collection. You do like masks! I hope your in-storage masks get displayed soon, would love to see photos of that.
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Thanks! Maybe next year I’ll have a permanent home. That was the plan this year, but we all know how 2020 went…
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I love this so much! I’m glad the spirit ran away with you. And yes, it’s always fascinated me that we’ve let ourselves get so removed from our animal natures that we need artifice to remind us. But… it’s beautiful artifice.
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Thanks Sun. It is indeed.
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