Masked (2020) is my contribution to the 50th anniversary celebratory exhibition of Strategy: Get Arts. Performed in a natural environment and public space, it is inspired by the notion of Joseph Beuys’ social sculpture, and Richard Demarco’s Edinburgh Arts journeys on The Road to Meikle Seggie and beyond. It is a manifestation of another essential contributor to The Demarco Archive, Tadeusz Kantor's principle of emballage applied to the 2020 human condition.
Masked responds to the 2020 experience by interacting with oneself, outdoors, with excessive protection offered by the masks. The construction presents an aura of eery beauty whilst commenting on the dehumanising effect of masks when applied to the human body. Masks hide and silence the human figure, reducing physical expression and communication. Nothing is revealed; nothing is shared. It is existence in silence.
The figure is juxtaposed with Shane Green’s diptych sculptures Diving and Discus (2012) in Alexandra Palace gardens, Muswell Hill, London. The folk song Stretched on Your Grave, the English translation of the 17th-century Irish poem Táim sínte ar do thuama, translated by Frank O'Connor with music by Philip King, communicates the theme of death, a constant reminder in 2020.
