Mask's collages are filled with densely-packed layers of detritus, the flotsam and jetsam of pop-culture and mass-mail/mass-media. With these as his resources (and a seemingly endless resource it is!) he has created a kind of aerial map, of what appears to be urban centers, train yards, industrial parks, neighborho… Read more

Mask's collages are filled with densely-packed layers of detritus, the flotsam and jetsam of pop-culture and mass-mail/mass-media. With these as his resources (and a seemingly endless resource it is!) he has created a kind of aerial map, of what appears to be urban centers, train yards, industrial parks, neighborhoods, street grids. But on closer inspection, they are bird's-eye-views of memories, feelings, emotional reactions, specific people or events. Either way, they don't come with a legend, so let's get lost and see where we end up. Mask's surfaces range from subtle and soft to bright and aggressive. Many areas are almost unintelligible thickets of imagery and color. Others are like clouds, with a stark single burst of symbol or type. His techiniques - painting, sanding, rubbing, stamping, gluing, obscuring and revealing - act as visual filters. Heirarchy is established to some extent. A crowded city street is chaotic: what do you focus on, what surges forward or remains hidden? Blocks away (layers back) a horn honks, but right where you're standing (immediate layer) you step in gum and run into a lamp post. What he's saying is enigmatic; along with the visual layers there are dense layers of meaning. Or are they nonsense? Is he telling the truth or lying to us? Does it matter? The language is not our native tongue. He speaks volumes about Maskland and many other locales. But a good opera doesn't need to be translated to make you cry when you're in the audience.