In a rare opportunity to see more than 200 historically significant masks from the Michigan State University Museum collection, MASK: Secrets and Revelations offers a glimpse into the stories behind the façades.
Now through Jan. 22, 2012, explore the diverse selection of masks that MSU Museum Director Gary Morgan says are not just fascinating objects, but objects that have the ability to capture stories from home and abroad.
In an eclectic visual array, the exhibition showcases the very essence of human creativity in terms of mask making. Featured are the masks of the masked dancers of Bali, Japanese Noh masks and even a few additions from pop culture in the form of Darth Vader and Spiderman, among others.
From masks of a mere four inches to a towering seven-foot mask, there are endless differences in size and material. Wood is a particularly dominant feature, and some of the masks are so heavy that it would require able-bodied young men to dance and carry them. Others utilize shells, feathers, jute, metal, grass and rubber.
Not only are these masks products of a range of cultures, but they were created and used for a slew of reasons.
"The celebration and dance are part of why people would come together," Morgan said. "Masks could have or do have an important role in young people moving into adulthood. You become a new person or a new individual, and when you die, you move into another plane of existence. They are making a link from this life to wherever the person is going. In other cases, the masked dancers can act as a calming agent, to keep the spirit world happy."
| MASK: Secrets and Revelations Through Jan. 22, 2012 Main Gallery Michigan State University Museum, East Lansing museum.msu.edu, (517) 355-7474 |
Perhaps one of the underlying reasons for mask appeal is their ability to transform the wearer. A drab Peter Parker becomes the heroic Spiderman with the addition of his red mask, just as a Native American mask could transform a man into a chief.
MSU Museum has also provided videos, stories and poems to help viewers gain a better understanding of the masks while taking part in the traditions of the cultures that created them.
"You can look at them and not know anything about them, but enjoy them for the creativity that has gone into it," Morgan said. "It's when you know these other levels of use that you start to really appreciate them."
