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12/12/2007

Mask

James Cohan Gallery, New York

James Cohan Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition that explores the many forms and uses of masks throughout history and the influence they lend to contemporary artists. MASK will be comprised of a collection of over 40 masks assembled by Joseph G. Gerena Fine Art, dating from 700 BCE through the 20th century and representative of all continents and many cultural traditions. These masks will be shown alongside works by 30 contemporary artists, including several specifically commissioned for the exhibition.

Masks conceal, protect and disguise. They give us the courage to speak freely, help us transcend physical limitations, add mystery and power to our rituals, amplify or hide our emotions, frighten, entertain, intimidate, humiliate, and even protect us from noxious gases and flying balls. The simplest covering can have a profound effect on both the wearer and viewer, simultaneously concealing and revealing. As Oscar Wilde summarized, "Give a man a mask and he'll tell you the truth."

The tradition of masks and masking offers limitless exploration; several contemporary artists have turned to the form to investigate issues of identity, power and provocation at a time when the bounds between real and assumed identities are becoming more indistinct. As political theorist Yaron Ezrahi has expressed, speaking of current world conflicts, "(Ski) masks are the uniform of the new armies of the 21st century and the new kind of violence, which no longer distinguishes between war against the stranger and war against the members of your own society. Just as this new war doesn't have a front, it doesn't have a face. It doesn't have boundaries.

Image: © Yinka Shonibare, MBE
Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) (video still) 2004,
High Definition Digital Video
32 minute loop, Edition of 6 + 2 AP's

James Cohan Gallery
533 West 26th Street - New York
Admission free

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