Mundane to Marvelous: Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Thomas Mossey 
Dr. Alla Myzelev 
ARTH 300: Fashion, Art, and Politics 
Spring 2021

When the pandemic started last march, we were all sent home. The world was flipped upside down and turned inside out. The hysteria that only the town folks of Western Europe in the fourteenth century could have known. I still had half a semester of Junior year left and not knowing what would come. I was trapped in my tower of a room to finish off the school year. No sun shined for that entire spring- it was grey and dark from March to May. I was not permitted to leave the house, I was not allowed to go anywhere or do anything. Rapunzel trapped in her tower watching the hours tick by- tick tock tock tock. Then one day, in early May- I asked my mother if I could go for a run and then to my Aunts house so I could write some of a final paper. She agreed and handed me a blue medical mask for me to wear and some hand sanitizer. “Be safe,” she said and I went on my first excursion since I traveled home from school. The sweetness of spring turned into the sizzle of summer, and I began to get restless, but I kept a routine. Get up, workout, go for a run, watch my best friend’s coffee blog, shower, make breakfast, and then walk to my aunts house to tan. (She was never home- so we never broke any guidelines). The monotony of those first summer days did keep my skin beautifully porcelain- despite wearing the masks everyday. My first real mask, that was not a medical mask, was sewn and gifted to me by my older sister. It had a blue and red sailboat print and had red ribbons that tied into a bow the back. 

Living through a pandemic is something that is not as easy as you would think to describe. A lot of bad things happen, but life moves on and sometimes good things happen- and sometimes you burst into a full Rockette kickline by yourself and that’s all okay. However, in a pandemic, or not, waiting for something to happen instead of admiring all that is already happening is the main problem. In a life that is driven in commercialism, we all forget that power, prestige, and money are not the main goals of life. The main goals are to center yourself, surrounding yourself with people you love, no matter how far they need to be, and finding joy in the mundane. What’s so funny about living through a pandemic is that what we all need most, community, is the one thing that was stripped from us. The universe has a sense of humor that way. Not to leave any of us without, we have social media: a blessing and a curse. From all of the connection or lack thereof, we have all begun to realize what a crazy world we live in and that in a mere minute things can crumble, but in its place, a phoenix will rise. The tower card will always lead the way for the sun. 

That was the mask that I wore almost every day when I started my summer job at a pool. Why were we open, do not ask me. The pool had a sign with a skull and crossbones on it with the quotation “enter at your own risk”… maybe close then. The only reason I worked was because I had worked at this pool since I was 16 and they needed me to help run the operation. Going in everyday to work at a pool in peak pandemic times does make you feel a little like Jennifer from the Valley of the Dolls (1967) when she goes to Paris to film “ze art films”. Like you need the money so you go to work, but you definitely question the ethical implications of it. At the end of the day, I did get to work side-by-side with my best friend, Jayne, so all troubles did seem to fade. Before I knew it, I was back at school fully immersed in zoom learning and trying to traverse my senior year of college in a mask. 

That really is the funny thing about the whole thing, everyday there was something to look forward to. There was something beautiful about spending the hours by yourself, and when you needed them most, your friends were always a facetime away. Just do not waste the time you have been given because of a bad draw of cards. Find the joy, happiness, and peace within every second because that is what life is truly about. Learning how to navigate yourself through the craziness and find the moments that make you remember why you are alive. Behind the masks, there can always be a little smile on your face.

I think the best way to describe my feelings on masks and the pandemic as a whole was summed up in the last fifteen minutes I just experienced. I decided that I wanted to go out and write this exposee in Brodie Hall, the academic building associated with the arts at SUNY Geneseo. While in the room where my journey as an Art History student truly began, Brodie 242A. As a freshman this was the room of the Art History Association, which was the first club I joined in January of 2018 after transferring. I now sit in the same seat as a senior ready to graduate, and my computer is not loading. For fifteen minutes I watch a loading screen turn and turn until finally I can begin to type. Instead of reminiscing about the room, my time at Geneseo, or even the birds that were chirping outside, I decided to waste that fifteen minutes being upset at my computer because I had to wait for it to start again. That was my last year summed up and tied in a bow. 

Living through a pandemic is something that is not as easy as you would think to describe. A lot of bad things happen, but life moves on and sometimes good things happen- and sometimes you burst into a full Rockette kickline by yourself and that’s all okay. However, in a pandemic, or not, waiting for something to happen instead of admiring all that is already happening is the main problem. In a life that is driven in commercialism, we all forget that power, prestige, and money are not the main goals of life. The main goals are to center yourself, surrounding yourself with people you love, no matter how far they need to be, and finding the joy in the mundane. What’s so funny about living through a pandemic is that what we all need most, community, is the one thing that was stripped from us. The universe has a sense of humor that way. Not to leave any of us without, we have social media: a blessing and a curse. From all of the connection, or lack thereof, we have all begun to realize what a crazy world we live in and that in a mere minute things can crumble, but in its place a phoenix will rise. The tower card will always lead the way for the sun. 

When the pandemic started last march, we were all sent home. The world was flipped upside down and turned inside out. The hysteria that only the town folks of Western Europe in the fourteenth century could have known. I still had half a semester of Junior year left and not knowing what would come. I was trapped in my tower of a room to finish off the school year. No sun shined for that entire spring- it was grey and dark from March to May. I was not permitted to leave the house, I was not allowed to go anywhere or do anything. Rapunzel trapped in her tower watching the hours tick by- tick tock tock tock. Then one day, in early May- I asked my mother if I could go for a run and then to my Aunts house so I could write some of a final paper. She agreed and handed me a blue medical mask for me to wear and some hand sanitizer. “Be safe,” she said and I went on my first excursion since I traveled home from school. The sweetness of spring turned into the sizzle of summer, and I began to get restless, but I kept a routine. Get up, workout, go for a run, watch my best friend’s coffee blog, shower, make breakfast, and then walk to my aunts house to tan. (She was never home- so we never broke any guidelines). The monotony of those first summer days did keep my skin beautifully porcelain- despite wearing the masks everyday. My first real mask, that was not a medical mask, was sewn and gifted to me by my older sister. It had a blue and red sailboat print and had red ribbons that tied into a bow the back. 

That was the mask that I wore almost every day when I started my summer job at a pool. Why were we open, do not ask me. The pool had a sign with a skull and crossbones on it with the quotation “enter at your own risk”… maybe close then. The only reason I worked was because I had worked at this pool since I was 16 and they needed me to help run the operation. Going in everyday to work at a pool in peak pandemic times does make you feel a little like Jennifer from the Valley of the Dolls (1967) when she goes to Paris to film “ze art films”. Like you need the money so you go to work, but you definitely question the ethical implications of it. At the end of the day, I did get to work side-by-side with my best friend, Jayne, so all troubles did seem to fade. Before I knew it, I was back at school fully immersed in zoom learning and trying to traverse my senior year of college in a mask. 

That really is the funny thing about the whole thing, everyday there was something to look forward to. There was something beautiful about spending the hours by yourself, and when you needed them most, your friends were always a facetime away. Just do not waste the time you have been given because of a bad draw of cards. Find the joy, happiness, and peace within every second because that is what life is truly about. Learning how to navigate yourself through the craziness and find the moments that make you remember why you are alive. Behind the masks, there can always be a little smile on your face.

Masks and Fantasy: A Look Into the Influence of Masks in Pop Culture and Fashion

“In storytelling, masks typically have the dual nature of indicating ‘the sacred’ and ‘the profane.'”

– Lynley

Masks have existed since the Stone Age and are used to serve a variety of purposes through concealing its wearer. Masks are often worn with costumes, sometimes to conceal the entire body of its wearer in an effort to obscure their recognizable features. Masks often give the appearance of a completely new identity and usually tradition prescribes its appearance and construction along with how it is interpreted by viewers (Wingert 2020). They are often best understood as a unit with the performance they are presented in. In storytelling, masks typically have the dual nature of indicating “the sacred” and “the profane” (Lynley 2018). Initially believed to be a way of getting closer to the gods through performance, masks in storytelling have adapted to many genres while typically referring to any kind of deception or inauthenticity.


Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

“Initially believed to be a way of getting closer to the gods through performance, masks in storytelling have adapted to many genres while typically referring to any kind of deception or inauthenticity.”

– Karen Ramudit

In the romance genre of many movies, masks can represent getting to know others identities. In the comedy genre of many movies, masks can depict how the use of another identity can lead to different conclusions. In the genre of thrillers, masks can typically present a character in certain ways and also represent the growth of a character. In horror, masks can be used so that the “true identity” of a character makes an impression on the audience or to depict a character as less than human for the purpose of unsettling audiences (Lynley 2018). Some popular examples of masked icons throughout film history include Zorro, Batman, Hannibal, Darth Vader, Micheal Myers, The Phantom of the Opera, and Spiderman (Kurten 2020.) Masks are also typically used as a means of storytelling through gaming to serve multiple purposes of deception and are used in fashion to also give audiences certain impressions of their wearer.

Masks as Storytelling

The use of masks have been used as a trope in storytelling for centuries. Micheal Hauge calls the ‘identity’ a mask that “refers to the faces people present to the world” and that their true ‘essence’ or “true self” is hidden underneath (Lynley 2018). In Japanese culture there is a distinction between the ‘omote’ and ‘ura’ or private and public faces. These words literally translate to ‘front’ and ‘behind’ (Lynley 2018). The underlying message in many of these stories is that nothing is resolved and true happiness is achieved when the mask comes off. This connects to the use of literal masks as a means of storytelling in various forms of media. Throughout various cultures the use of the literal mask has been to obscure the face for many reasons ranging from the Victorian masks representing death and were designed to remind people of their loved ones, Italian masks were worn for entertainment, and English masks were also worn for performance purposes. Masks today also exist in many forms and all have the common trait of deception when they are used for their specific purposes. 

In many cases the person who wears the mask is considered to be associated with the mask’s spirit force and exposed to “personal danger of being affected” by the mask’s power  (Wingert 2020). For the sake of “protection” the wearer follows certain procedures in using the mask and in many cases the wearer plays the part of an actor in “cooperation or collaboration” with the mask (Wingert 2020). The real importance of the mask is its ability to conceal the wearers identity and its ability to give the wearer a new one. Typically, after wearing the mask the wearer assumes the spirit character depicted by the mask. The wearer becomes the “partner” of the character he is impersonating and brings the masks to life as they psychologically become one and the character comes to life (Wingert 2020). Often the wearer becomes subservient of the persona of the masks itself. This association between the mask and the wearer is made more evident by the spectators as many initially understand the mask’s identity before that of its wearer. The importance of the masks lies in its ability to be understood by everyone and its integral role is to give a sense of continuity “between the present and beginning of time” which is a sense of importance for the “integration into culture” (Wingert 2020).

Spectators become linked to the mask through its power and depending on the representation which affects how the wearer reacts as they may eventually become absorbed by the mask’s identity or reject it completely. The ‘being’ that is presented through the mask is met with familiarity by others which leads to catharsis for the wearer and the spectators. Even if the mask is depicted with malignant potential the spirit of it is recognized by others. Those that represent more harmful spirits are used as a way to keep a “balance of power” in the traditional social and political relationship of “inherited positions” in a culture (Wingert 2020). The characters depicted are created from tradition and fulfill roles to achieve the desired ends. These cultural beliefs on the power of masks have entered our media and are often depicted through characters in movies, gaming, and fashion. Many iconic film characters are shown wearing masks for their own gain and for the purposes of telling stories to audiences.

Masks in Movies and Their Genres

When thinking of the use of masks to obscure one’s identity and create a new one it is hard to not think of a specific character in film that does this. Many film genres have used this trope to fulfill a purpose from action to horror. Hidden identities have become a staple in our movie culture as misleading the viewer has been used for good and evil motives as a means of deception or camouflage. Heroes are typically depicted as wearing masks for these reasons and because it provides them a form of protection. Many of the most famous male superheroes are seen donning masks from the initial Spiderman (2002), to Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy (2005-2012), to Iron Man (2008) which are all blockbuster movies and universally recognized characters. In each of these movies the importance of the mask is stressed as the identity of it provides different forms of responsibility which is stressed heavily in the Spiderman tagline that “with great power, comes great responsibility.” In many of these movies they also reference Wingerts assertion that it is often easy to become consumed by the masks identity and become one with it as in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)one important line said in the movie is that Bruce Wayne (the wearer of the mask) is now the alter ego or hidden face of the true identity of Batman himself although Batman is the one who wears the mask. His hidden identity lies in others seeing him in one way and the other identity, his true identity, lies in not being recognized by others. He gains power when he is not recognized compared to his now alter ego of being associated with his family name and given identity not chosen one.

A tweet depicting how Bruce Wayne sees both his identities from The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Masks are also used by villains for the same means but they are known to use their deception for their own personal gain, not often prohibited by a restrictive moral code guided towards helping the public that many superheroes have. One notable villain in superhero themed movies is Bane from the Batman Trilogy (2005-2012). He is known for being the masked antithesis of Batman himself and aspires to do everything he can to make others suffer just as he did. This is very distinctive from Batman’s main goal of doing everything he can to help others not suffer as he did. One of the most iconic lines said by Bane during The Dark Knight Rises (2012) in which he claims that “no one cared until he put on the mask.” Like Batman, Bane has embodied his other ‘face’ through wearing the mask and believes that it is part of his true identity now just as Wingert references. The villain of the Spiderman (2002) movie is also one who dons a mask just as the hero does and becomes consumed by its power as they fully transition into the Green Goblin. In Iron Man (2008) the rise of the Iron Man character also prompted the rise of his antithesis character Iron Monger who is also set on destroying the ideals of the protagonary hero. The rise of villains and heroes resulting in a rise of other villains and heroes using similar means of adapting to new identity through masks relates to Wingert’s idea of “balance of power” in the social and political relationship of “inherited positions” as both masks characters assume different positions in a culture (Wingert 2020). The characters also both created their alter egos with masks as a means of fulfilling roles to achieve their own desired ends.

Bane and Batman fighting in The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

“The rise of villains and heroes resulting in a rise of other villains and heroes using similar means of adapting to new identity through masks relates to Wingert’s idea of ‘balance of power’ in the social and political relationship of ‘inherited positions’ as both masks characters assume different positions in a culture.”

– Karen Ramudit

It is not fair to discuss masks in superhero movies without discussing one of the most iconic masked characters of all time, Darth Vader from Star Wars (1977). This film and the rest of the movies are not typically classified under superhero films but under drama and science fiction fantasy. Yet, the character of Darth Vader is universally well known because of what his mask represents as his name literally translates to “father of darkness” in German. Darth Vader’s character is an example of a hero turn villain as his initial identity of Anakin Skywalker was a young man who wanted to do right in the galaxy with his power much like the character of Spiderman but through the corruption of others that he faces he assumes a new identity through his mask. He becomes the ultimate villain in the sense that he rises to power and desires nothing else besides gaining absolute control over the entire galaxy and stops at nothing in his pursuits. His dastardly nature as the villain is emphasized as he is one with no moral code and appears to kill anyone who gets in his way in cold blood. This lack of humanity combined with the fact that we never see his true face ever again due to it being burned beyond recognition in the films when he turns, pushes the idea that he has become one with the mask’s identity. This identity being associated with inhumanity within the mask is carried into every form of the Star Wars franchise as it is seen as a driving symbol in the newer film, The Force Awakens (2015), where the new villain keeps Darth Vader’s mask and helmet in a concealed case and stares at it while planning new schemes of taking over the galaxy. The fact that this new villain, Kylo Ren, is also the grandson of Darth Vader himself adds to Wingert’s idea that even with the malignant spirit of masks presented its power is still recognized by others and that this “inherited position” comes from the culture of those who see the mask in this way much like Kylo Ren inherited the power of Darth Vader’s mask and creates his own masked persona in a way to achieve the desired ends of his grandfather.

Kylo Ren looking at a disheveled Darth Vader mask in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

“The fact that this new villain, Kylo Ren, is also the grandson of Darth Vader himself adds to Wingert’s idea that even with the malignant spirit of masks presented its power is still recognized by others and that this “inherited position” comes from the culture of those who see the mask in this way much like Kylo Ren inherited the power of Darth Vader’s mask and creates his own masked persona in a way to achieve the desired ends of his grandfather.”

– Karen Ramudit

Antiheroes are also commonly depicted as being mask wearers who use their hidden identity for their own gain just as Darth Vader chose to. Many of these anti heroes align with villains in the sense that they wear their masks according to a moral code but do not have a super hero to balance out their power. One very popular example of an antihero with a moral code who wears a mask is the character V from the film V for Vendetta (2005). V is an anarchist freedom fighter who believes in the power of the people over the oppressive government that is prevalent in his world and uses these moral codes to justify his destructive behaviors such as fighting and killing those who oppress others and destroying symbols of oppression created by the government. V wears a Guy Fawkes mask, which references the actual Guy Fawkes fight for a Catholic rebellion in England and planned an event in which explosives would be used to blow up Westminster palace but was caught and hanged for his extreme beliefs, according to Wikipedia. Zorro from the film The Legend of Zorro (2005), is another anti hero who wears a mask and lives according to his own beliefs and kills those he believes deserves death but also reaches trouble because of his actions. Donnie Darko from the film Donnie Darko (2001), is another example of an antihero that where’s a mask but he does not live by a moral code. This movie is more a thriller and time traveling film and while Donnie himself is of questionable character, the bunny mask that one of the characters wears and designs himself has been an icon of the film and its nihilistic themes. 

The horror genre of film is also well known for producing various villains and antiheroes who wear masks as a means of deception and creating a new identity for those who see them. Many of these characters use masks as a means of deception and to unsettle their victims. Many iconic horror characters also use this deception for their own gain such as Stu and Billy assuming the shared identity of Ghostface to terrorize their friend as an attempt at revenge in the movie Scream (1996). In many of these films the characters that wear masks are depicted as less than human as exemplified in Halloween (1978) in which the character of Michael Myers is depicted as less than human in his pursuits of murdering sexually active teenagers. This character is even officially named “the shape” as it has no true form other than the mask and jumpsuit that it wears (Phillips 2020). It can not be connected to the human form aside from these characteristics as its lack of humanity, speed, and strength are not traits of a real human. The same can be said about the predator character from the film Predator (1987) as a humanoid creature attacks people based on their heat signatures and it is seen as human shaped but still another creature through the use of its mask and costume. The same argument can also be made about the characters of Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th (1980) and Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs (1991). Both characters are given human names and origins but are transformed into something less than human through their overt lack of humanity and excessive violence towards others, therefore making them more monsters than human as they assume their new identities through wearing masks and become new creatures. The obstruction of their faces through their masks depicts that they can no longer be considered human anymore (Scott 2020).

“The obstruction of their faces through their masks depicts that they can no longer be considered human anymore.”

– Shannon Scott
Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Romance in film has also integrated a few instances to the difference between the identity behind the mask and when the mask is worn. This is notable in the small scenes of The Dark Knight Rises (2012) depicting the relationships between Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and Bruce Wayne (Batman) as their identities and those of the ones they assume through their masks interfere with their romantic relationship. This romantic aspect is also used in Spiderman (2002) where the hero Peter Parker kisses his love interest, Mary Jane, under the guise of Spiderman in the masks and creates a rift in his actual relationship with Mary Jane or with the Peter she knows of. This genre expands into the antihero trope through the film The Phantom of the Opera (2004), in which the illusive “phantom” who enacts his revenge on a society that abused him as a child by murdering citizens who attend the opera in Paris, falls in love with a young woman and tries to change his motives to aid her in her rise to fame. He uses the identity of the “phantom” to conceal his disfigurement and convince her to fall in love with him until she sees his true identity after his mask is removed and she understands his story (Madison 2016). The comedy genre also overlaps with this theme of morally ambiguous characters and romance as The Mask (1994) gives us a timid and soft spoken man who uses the power of a green mask to transform himself into a antihero who uses comedy and violence against evil doers while also romancing a woman that his initial identity did not have enough confidence to do.

Unification through the masks is also a common trope that we see utilized in film as many movies depicting a war or battle often present groups wearing similar masks and costumes. This is exemplified in 300 (2006) when the Spartans use their helmets with built in masks as a way of unifying their tribe before going into battle with the nearby civilization. This is also exemplified on a smaller scale in the Disney film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) where a group of archeologists find the lost city of Atlantis and encounter the Atlantean tribe who wear giant tribal style masks as a form of protection for their identities and bodies. This leads into our assessment of masks worn by women in film, as there are not many examples of this occurrence. The character of Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) initially wears her mask but quickly takes it off to greet the explorers and welcome them and her true identity is present through the rest of the film. Every other notable example of a woman wearing a mask in film follows the same situation as the mask is hardly worn by females. In The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Selina Kyle is more prominently shown compared to her Catwoman counterpart who appears for a short amount of time in the film. The female character of Yennefer from The Witcher (2019) wears a lace mask for her introduction to the show’s titular character but is never seen hiding behind a mask again, and even in this case her mask is mostly transparent and does not obscure her true identity.

Selina Kyle (Catwoman) from The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Yennefer from The Witcher (2019)

Masks in Gaming

Masks in gaming follows similar tropes to those presented in films. One of the most popular games ever made is the Persona Series (1996-2020) in which characters in the game combine their multiple identities and gain powers. Similarly to the super hero trope the characters in these games have alter egos when they use their powers and one of the most notable images from the game is the main character, Joker, wearing his white masquerade inspired mask. Many other games have characters wear masks to depict the type of setting their story is in such as Dishonored 2 (2012) in which characters wear masks and face coverings because of the plague ridden city that they live in or Payday 2 (2011) in which you play as characters involved in a scheme of multiple heists and cannot remove your masks (Nurcahyanto 2021). For many games the characters who wear masks have them as part of their style or gimmicks as exemplified in Mortal Kombat (1992-2019), Borderlands (2009-2019), Street Fighter (1987-2020), and the Mario Series (1985-2021). Many of the characters in games used their hidden identities and deception to their advantage just as those in film do (Gill 2019). 

“Many of the characters in games used their hidden identities and deception to their advantage just as those in film do”

– Jeremy Gill
Joker from the Persona Series (1996-2020)
Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attano from Dishonored 2 (2012)
Playable characters from Payday 2 (2011)
Sub-Zero and Scorpion from Mortal Kombat (1992-2019)

Masks in Fashion

Masks in fashion can be dated from centuries ago and take inspiration from a variety of cultures. Masks are created from many different types of material including wood, cloth, vegetable fiber, paint, metal, clay, feathers, beads, bark, cloth, and plastic (Smith 2021). While masks have the ability to alter one’s appearance and identity, it can also be used for protection and anonymity. For the purpose of performance we can focus on masquerade balls as they include masks along with costumes to reach their full effect. The masquerade ball is considered a less formal costume party that stemmed from various traditions of wearing extravagant costumes for events from the past. According to Wikipedia, they were initially a feature of the Carnival season during the 15th century and were included in events like royal parties, pageants, weddings, and other celebrations celebrating life accomplishments. Masquerade balls were extended into the public festivities during the 16th century during the Italian Renaissance and were part of the Venitian Carnival until the 18th century. Nonetheless the masquerade ball was popularized throughout Europe and continues to be popular in modern times as exemplified in the multiple events that occur in New York City that include a masquerade element such as The Black and White Ball of 1966.

“Masks in fashion can be dated from centuries ago and take inspiration from a variety of cultures.”

– Karen Ramudit
Modern day depictions of Venetian masks inspired by the 16th century Italian Renaissance presented at The Venice Carnival in Italy during the 20th century
A depiction of the popular Masquerade balls held in the 18th century
The Black and White Ball of New York City in 1966.

Use of Masks in Fashion Today

Between entertainment and storytelling it is simple to see why masks have continued to be an accessory in today’s fashion. In the new age of Coronavirus many companies have seized their opportunities to create unique face masks given the need to add this item to our daily wardrobe now. Fast fashion companies such as Pretty Little Thing and Fashion Nova have begun selling masks individually or built into their clothing. Departments stores, like Target, have also begun manufacturing and selling their own masks as well in different sizes for everyone. Even In 2020’s Paris Fashion Week, many designers chose to display the theme of the year as they included masks as part of their looks. The importance of designers adding masks to their styles helps the idea of wearing masks for everyone seem more appealing and designers recognize the power that they hold in doing this. They encouraged healthy and sanitary habits with masks that had prints to match runway looks. Christian Siriano’s Spring 2021 collection combined new looks that combined style and aesthetics through clothing and matching masks on the models. Other designers such as Marine Serre and Paco Rabanne took the pandemic very seriously and provided their models with full coverage of couture which added practicality to couture in regards to how the world is today (Magrini 2020). It is enlightening to see how many films, games, and fashion statements incorporate masks into their looks in ways that appeal to everyone. By viewing these forms of media, many can become inspired to decorate their masks and stay safe during this time as many options are available for everyone. 

“It is enlightening to see how many films, games, and fashion statements incorporate masks into their looks in ways that appeal to everyone.”

– Karen Ramudit
An advertisement for Pretty Little Thing’s new clothing adjusted for 2020
Christian Siriano’s Spring 2021 collection debut at 2020 Paris Fashion Week
Marine Serre’s Spring 2021 collection debut at 2020 Paris Fashion Week
Paco Rabanne’s Spring 2021 collection debut at 2020 Paris Fashion Week

Citations

Gill, Jeremy. “Top 30 Video Game Masks.” LevelSkip, Maven Media, 25 July 2019,  levelskip.com/misc/best-video-game-masks. Accessed 14 April 2021.

“Guy Fawkes.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Mar. 2021,  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes. Accessed 14 April 2021.

JP, Madison. “The 15 Most Iconic Movie Masks of All Time.” TVOvermind, Elite CafeMedia, 3 Mar. 2016, www.tvovermind.com/the-15-most-iconic-movie-masks-of-all-time/. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Kurten, Jochen. “How the Mask Has Played a Starring Role throughout Movie History.” DW, Deutsche Welle, 5 June 2020, dw.com/en/how-the-mask-has-played-a-starring-role-throughout-movie-history/a-53347903. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Lynley. “Masks In Storytelling.” SLAP HAPPY LARRY, WordPress, 8 Apr. 2021,  slaphappylarry.com/mask-technique-storytelling/. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Magrini, Sarah. “Face Masks and Runway Fashion: Can Face Masks Be Haute Fashion?” UDress Magazine, WordPress, 11 Nov. 2020, udressmag.com/2020/11/11/face-masks-and-runway-fashion-can-face-masks-be-haute-fashion/. Accessed 14 April 2021.

“Masquerade Ball.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Mar. 2021,  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_ball. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Nurcahyanto, Rizky. “10 Iconic Masked Characters in a Game Whose Face Is Still a Mystery.” Dunia Games, Dunia Games, 5 Apr. 2021, duniagames.co.id/discover/article/10-karakter-bertopeng-paling-ikonis-dalam-game-yang-wajahnya-masih-menjadi-misteri/en. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Phillips, Maya. “Horror Masks Are Never Just About the Monster.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2020, nytimes.com/2020/10/23/movies/halloween-horror-masks.html. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Scott, Shannon. “Hidden Faces, Hidden Identities: Masks in Horror Cinema: Eyes without Faces, by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.” Senses of Cinema, RMIT University, 25 July 2020,  sensesofcinema.com/2020/book-reviews/hidden-faces-hidden-identities-masks-in-horror-cinema-eyes-without-faces-by-alexandra-heller-nicholas/. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Smith, Fred T. “Masks in Fashion.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, 2021, fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/clothing-types-styles/halloween-costume-history. Accessed 14 April 2021.

Wingert, Paul S. “The Wearing of Masks.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 10 Feb. 2020, britannica.com/art/mask-face-covering/The-wearing-of-masks. Accessed 14 April 2021.

The Theatrical Origins and Language of Venetian Carnival Masks

The Theatrical Origins and Language of Venetian Carnival Masks

The practice of masking during carnival celebrations dates back all the way to the fourth century BCE and was widespread throughout Europe by the fifteenth century. These colorful disguises were most popular in Southern Europe, where festivals were more common and masks were more elaborate, becoming particularly famous in Venice, Italy (Carpenter, 9). The practice of masking helped to create atmospheres of freedom and opportunity, allowing masked participants to remain anonymous and therefore drop their inhibitions and shames to let themselves have fun. Over the long history of Carnival in Venice, the decorative face masks of revelers have been both a staple of the celebration and the source of much criticism. While there were a lot of examples of objections against masking and celebrating Carnival from both religious and social standpoints, that never stopped both men and women from participating.

Masking was traditionally a man’s game. For each Carnival celebration, men would dress up and roam the streets while women played the important role of participating as spectators to their elaborate masquerade. However, by the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries masking had become a unisex practice (Carpenter 10).

One of the most prominent criticisms of Carnival and masking was the opportunities for mischief that it created. Venetian Carnival masks had many designs and inspirations, with characteristics that could either construct or erase the essential aspects of a reveler’s identity. Unlike celebrations like Saturnalia, the debauchery that accompanied carnival was not rooted in any subversion of power but from the illusion of freedom and suspension of truth that the masks provided partygoers (Quinn, 74). This illusion of freedom, this distance from personal accountability, could be created using two distinct kinds of masks: those that created an elaborate false identity and those that erased individuality to make you just one of the crowd.

Traditional Carnival masks that construct false identities in order to conceal the reveler beneath often drew their inspiration from the commedia dell’arte, which was an early form of professional Italian theatre that utilized character archetypes in distinctive masks and costumes. These archetypes were static and predictable for long enough that they became staples of Italian storytelling and visual art, and many iconic carnival masks are in the style of these characters, including the Zanni, Pantalone, and Colombina masks. While these masks were used to create characterization in theatre, they were then subverted to erase identity when worn by carnival-goers in the crowd. Commedia dell’arte-inspired masks are most frequently half-mask designs since actors who wore similar masks on stage needed the lower portion of their face free to deliver their lines effectively.

The Zanni mask is one of the most distinctive of Venetian carnival masks, despite being a secondary character archetype in most traditional theatre. Zanni is the name of an overarching group of stock characters that the commedia dell’arte utilized, ascribed to clowns and stupid servants such as Harlequin. The Zanni mask is a half-mask characterized by a scrunched, low brow and a long thin nose, both of which were considered signifiers of stupidity. The lower the brow or longer the nose, the less intelligent the character being portrayed. While bumbling and crude, Zanni characters were also known for their nimbleness and were the most animated among their cast. Their lack of intelligence was sometimes a source of conflict, sometimes a source of comedic relief, but the distinctive shape of the mask helps it stand out in a crowd and makes it a favorite among modern carnival attendees.

Pantalone is another stock character that was commonly portrayed with a half-mask and exaggerated features. This mask style is most often marked by a high brow and a prominent hooked nose, paired with pronounced wrinkles and bushy eyebrows to channel the appearance of a wizened old man. In contrast to Zanni masks, these deep-set wrinkles paired with the high forehead were used to signify wisdom, and sometimes despair. The Pantalone mask is traditionally worn by men and continues to be worn to celebrations, but the sad old man archetype has seen a decline in popularity in modern carnival.

A modern Zanni mask

The Colombina mask is based on the character of Colombina in the commedia dell’arte, a well-known and well-loved young female character who was often a maid or spouse in plays. Despite deriving directly from the commedia dell’arte, the Colombina mask is a relatively modern invention. Colombina in traditional theatre was an unmasked character archetype and the actress would instead be signified by her heavy makeup and ornamentation. On occasion, the character would wear a domino mask, which has been adapted into today’s popular party mask. While the traditional form of the Colombina character wore no mask, a common story for the origin of this domino mask is that the character of Colombina was so vain that never wanted to obscure her features with a full mask. The Colombina mask is a heavily decorated half-mask, covering only the upper portion of the face and held in place by being tied by a ribbon or held in position with a baton. In modern carnival, both men and women wear the Colombina mask.

Colombina masks, more commonly known as domino masks, for sale

While these types of character masks were and are very popular, they are only one side of the coin. Where commedia dell’arte masks were constructive, establishing an expectation based on the source, other masks were subtractive and designed to completely erase individuality and identifying factors.

The bauta mask is one mask design utilized by Carnival-goers who wished to stay anonymous. These masks were a blank slate, with simple decorations or no decoration at all, a wide nose, and square jaw that extended outward instead of curling back around the face. With these exaggerated features, just about any face could fit beneath it and be perfectly concealed without discomfort. The outward flare of the bottom of the mask was specifically so that the wearer could eat, drink, and talk without needing to remove it and reveal their identity. In a crowd of masks, “the carnival bauta was nearly uniform, and as such it erased the particular identity of the wearer; it effaced not only physiognomy but often class, gender, or even race” (Quinn 74). This made it one of the best choices for both men and women who wanted to celebrate Carnival without the burden of identity. This anonymity might erase the power held by those of the ruling class or high officials, but it also erased the inherent vulnerability of their power as well as created power for those who had none.

A close up of Conversations of the Masks by Pietro Longhi, highlighing the two central figures wearing bauta masks
Portrait of a Woman with Mask by Rosalba Carriera

A mask that was more traditional for women was the moretta, which was a small oval mask, dark in color and only wide enough to cover the center of the face. Instead of straps, the moretta was held in place with a button or bit that the wearer would keep between their teeth. Because this design rendered the wearer mute, another name for it was the muta or servetta muta.

The moretta mask fell out of fashion in the late 18th century, but before that it was an integral piece in a woman’s game of seduction during the festival. By covering just a small area in black velvet, a woman’s pale skin was thrown into sharp contrast and also turned her face into a treasure to be earned. This mask design has been immortalized in artwork such as Rosalba Carriera’s Portrait of a Woman with Mask (left) or Clara the Rhinoceros by Pietro Longhi (below). Pietro Longhi painted a number of Carnival scenes, including Clara the Rhinoceros who was exhibited in 1751 as a Carnival spectacle.

Clara the Rhinoceros (1751) by Pietro Longhi

Traditional bauta masks are handcrafted from paper-mache and then decorated with filigree or paint as the artist sees fit. The moretta is covered in black velvet, for the aesthetic advantages of both the dark color and the soft, expensive material.

Masks such as the bauta and the moretta were also favored by gamblers, because of their ability to render the wearer indistinguishable. In high-stakes environments, such as Venice’s most renowned gambling hall, the Ridotto, masks were part of a mandatory dress code for visitors. While this sometimes created a barrier for those who could not afford the correct costume, the casino was still open to anyone with enough money for a mask and a buy-in. This meant that anyone, of any social class or status, could end up standing next to each other to win and lose money all evening. Masks were required both by law and by the rule of the casino so that “if great gains or losses risked a sudden reversal in the social order, the mask could lessen its effects by concealing exactly who was winning and losing” (Johnson 408). Not only did they level the playing field by removing any threat of intimidation or retribution, but they also reduced class tensions and wounded pride.

Una McGowan
ARTH300: Fashion, Art, & Politics
Dr. Alla Myzelev
Spring 2021

Bibliography

Carpenter, Sarah. “Women and Carnival Masking.” Records of Early English Drama 21, no.2 (1996): 9-16. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43505418.

Johnson, James H. “Deceit and Sincerity in Early Modern Venice.” Eighteenth-Century Studies 38, no. 3 (2005): 399-415. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30053403.

“Making the Masks: Handcrafting Venetian Masquerade Masks.” Italy Mask: Authentic Venetian Masks. https://www.italymask.co.nz/Behind-The-Masks/Making+the+Masks.html.

Quinn, Michael L. “The Comedy of Reference: The Semiotics of Commedia Figures in Eighteenth-Century Venice.” Theatre Journal 43, no. 1 (1991): 70-92. www.jstor.org/stable/3207951.

“The Bauta: The Queen of Venetian Masks.” Ca’ Macana, www.camacana.com/en-UK/bauta-venetian-masks-history.php.

“The Moretta mask: Venetian mask of seduction.” Ca’ Macana. https://www.camacana.com/en-UK/moretta-venetian-mask.php.

14 Months and Counting: My Timeline of Masks

Thinking all the way back to February and March of 2020 feels so alien. It’s been over a year and it feels like it’s been so long but simultaneously no time has passed. The beginning of the pandemic was strange. I understood the importance of washing my hands and wearing my mask and keeping my distance from people, but the actual evolution of the emergency was so gradual at the start and then suddenly we were in quarantine and the pandemic was all-consuming. I went from vaguely worried but going about my business to abruptly driving all of my belongings home with me for spring break with the understanding that I wouldn’t be coming back. People were saying that it would only be two weeks, maybe a month, I could expect to be on campus again before the semester was up, but it was clear from the get-go that we were in for the long haul. However, I obviously didn’t realize at the time that the “long haul” was going to be fourteen months and counting.

My olive green mask, one of the first reusable masks I owned during quarantine.

In early March, my mom came home from her work as an elementary school teacher with a packet of blue medical masks. I’d heard about masks and other prevention tactics like social distancing from the radio and TV news. The CDC recommendations have been plastered everywhere since the very beginning and they’re impossible to miss, but it was my mom coming home with that plastic package of disposable blue surgical masks that made it click that this was something real and pertained to me. When I heard about them on the news, I thought that masks were a good idea, but I hadn’t really considered wearing one myself. I’ve always been a homebody so there were very few occasions where I actually needed to leave my house and wear a mask. Up until then, it had just been an abstract concept that had sent me home in the middle of the semester. Those masks were one of the first concrete changes to my life that made me realize that this was really happening. I wasn’t just on an extended spring break, there was a real national health emergency in progress.

The CDC recommendations have been impossible to miss, but it was that plastic package of disposable blue surgical masks that made it click that this was real.

– Una McGowan

I started wearing a mask almost immediately after coming home from Geneseo. Although I didn’t leave the house often, both my dad and sister qualify as immunocompromised and my mom works with schoolchildren so it was really important to all of us that we took as many precautions as we possibly could. Personally, I worked the front desk at the local history museum, greeting visitors until we were shut down, so I also took wearing a mask while engaging with the public very seriously.

The concept of wearing a mask was not completely foreign to me, I’ve heard of the health benefits of wearing them all my life from my Korean family as well as from friends who live in New York City. The transition to wearing them was quick and painless, but I definitely walked out of the house without one enough times that I needed to start carrying a package of new ones in my car. I’m grateful that we’ve started vaccinations and are now slowly transitioning away from needing to be masked all the time, but now I feel like something is missing when I’m out of the house without one on. 

At the very start of the pandemic, I saw a lot of people attempting to make their own masks. I saw people donating handmade masks or wearing custom-fitted coverings over their disposable ones. I have a lot of personal experience with sewing and tailoring, it was a hobby I picked up in middle school that’s proved to be one of the most useful things I’ve ever done, so it was almost inevitable that I would try to make my own. Finding a pattern online that I liked and was sized correctly for my face was easy enough.

I created a double-layer mask out of fabric from a pair of old T-shirts with the filter of a surgical mask in the middle for good measure, and then I finished it off with some elastic to go around my ears. The whole thing was handsewn (I’ve never really liked sewing machines) and I think it turned out well. It sits on my nose comfortably and I can wash it instead of throwing away my reusable masks. However, once I started going out more regularly and the museum started up again (for personnel and in-house work, we’re still closed to the public), I decided to retire it in exchange for higher quality masks made by professionals.

I’ve had a good handful of reusable masks over the course of the pandemic, including an olive drab cloth mask that my military coworkers at the history museum all thought was hilarious and well-suited to the archive of uniforms I was assigned to catalog, but my family and I eventually settled on KF94 masks. KF94 masks are disposable masks originally used and popularized in Korea that offer similar protection to N95 masks without the worry of using up resources that medical personnel need to properly do their jobs.

One of my KF94 masks, which I was able to purchase in bulk from an H-Mart near my house.

Out of all of the masks I’ve had, the one the most special to me is one I rarely ever wear. Even though it’s huge and barely even fits over a bulky KF94, my favorite mask is the bright blue WMC Health mask that I received after my second vaccine dose. This mask is soft and made of several layers of fabric without feeling smothering, but it also definitely has a “one size fits all” design, with a wide front panel and extra-long ear loops. On its own, it isn’t much use to me, but as a second layer, it works well enough. It’s the most important to me not because of its function but because of where I got it and what it represents. I know that the pandemic isn’t over yet, but that mask and the vaccination it celebrates means that we’re at least in the home stretch.

It’s the most important to me not because of its function but because of where I got it and what it represents.

More Than Meets 3/4 of the Eye: COVID Masks

By Christine Grace

As I remember, the COVID-19 pandemic really came into full effect the same week as spring break back in 2020.  At the end of March, I returned to my house in Geneseo with my sister.  My sister had been in Florida when COVID first became a threat in March and we didn’t want to risk our parents’ health, so I went with her to stay in my house on Franklin Street.  Those two weeks of quarantine were mentally strenuous.  Living in Geneseo during the pandemic was really sad because there was so little to do and not a lot of students stayed.  At this point, the masks were not mandatory.  I first heard about the mandatory mask rule from my neighbors in Geneseo at the time in April, who told me that after a certain time masks would be mandatory in New York State in public places.  I had just left Wegman’s before that went into order, and they were just coming to Wegmans at the time it started.  We passed each other in the parking lot.  Because I had entered Wegman’s and left before the time the mandate went into effect, I did not wear a mask.  My neighbors showed up after the time masks were made mandatory in New York State, so they wore bandanas around their noses and mouths.  

In February, I was in complete denial that the pandemic would come down to having mask mandates.  I was really hoping that it would really only take two weeks to flatten the curve, but of course it has taken much longer than two weeks.  The thought of having to wear masks was very unsettling to me, I felt unease by not only the threat of the virus, but also the extent that the government was becoming involved.  I feared that once masks were mandated, they would not be effective enough in slowing the spread and government officials might enforce curfews and confinement to just your home, as had been the case in places like Spain and Italy in April.  Thankfully, the kinds of curfews and confinement in the United States was not exactly as strict as it was overseas.  

In February and March, I had heard that bodegas, grocery stores, and other convenience stores in the New York City area had run out of masks completely as people were wearing them on their own accord.  I only started wearing the mask in April, after it became state mandated.  My sister and I had to fashion them ourselves at the time, my sister used a scarf and I used a bandana.  I used a red bandana that I found stuffed in my sock drawer.  It didn’t go very well in the beginning, I would clumsily tie my bandana too loose and it would slip or it would partly obstruct my vision causing me to have this weird brain-fog everytime I stepped foot in the grocery store.  It was as if I only could see out of three quarters of my eyes. Once I came home from Geneseo, my dad gave me a couple of the blue paper masks.  I used to be in denial about the whole mask situation to the point where I felt second-hand embarrassment for people with cloth masks up until May.  

Back in March, I did not think the pandemic would come to that point.  I thought mandatory masks would be really frightening, but as it turned out the toilet paper and pasta shortages were scarier than having to wear face coverings in public.  In the beginning, I tried to stay home as much as I could because I felt really disoriented having to wear a mask out. Throughout the remainder of April and May I used the blue paper masks, which are the ones for medical use.  I noticed this was generating a lot of waste because they are only good to wear a few times before they need to be discarded.  In June I started my job as a waitress where my job supplied the blue masks, so I chose to continue wearing them because it was convenient.  I really disliked working and having to wear the mask. The restaurant would get really hot and the mask was just not very breathable, so it was not comfortable running around a busy restaurant wearing one. It was also annoying having to enforce New York State restaurant mandates at the restaurant where I worked in the Adirondacks.  Many customers were indignant about the mask rule, as if it were my own idea.  I found that waitressing during the pandemic made me slightly nervous, as customers could remove their masks once seated.  Overall not pleasant at all having to enforce the mandate myself on the general public.  

The first cloth mask I got was given to me by my friend Riley in July.   The mask was an athleisure type of material from Lululemon.  I have since lost it unfortunately.  It was maroon on the outside and white on the inside with black adjustable straps for the ears.  A problem I had with this cloth mask was that it caused my skin to break out where the cloth met the strap near my cheekbones.  
Fig. 3: Me wearing my Lululemon mask in November.
The second cloth mask I got came from the guy I was dating over the past few months.  I think he gave it to me in January.  It is black with adjustable straps, and what seems to be underwire in the nose band.  I’m not sure exactly what the fabric of the mask is, but it is more breathable and does not cause “maskne.”   
Fig. 4: My second cloth mask & the one I use the most now.
My father had to buy me a cloth mask once because I forgot mine before church.  It was from the stationary store near the church in our town, and it smelled like chemicals I remember the moment I put it on.  This mask was a plain black with a rigid nose band which I have since lost as well.  
Fig. 5: Inside of mask that is from the same brand as the plain black one I lost. (This mask belongs to my Father).
The most recent mask I accumulated was through another friend of mine.  I visited Geneseo earlier this April and was given a white cloth mask with a floral print by one of my friends.  I do not know why she gave it to me or how exactly I ended up with it, but I found it in the pocket of my sweatshirt when I got back home.  I have yet to purchase a mask myself, although I seem to obtain them quite easily, so hopefully I will not need anymore masks for the rest of the pandemic.
Fig. 6: Mask I somehow ended up with from Geneseo

Never the Girl Next Door: Uncovering the Masks and Feminism Within Mid-Century American Fetishism

“I urge you all today, especially today during these times of chaos and war,to love yourself without reservations and to love each other without restraint. Unless you’re into leather.” 

-Margaret Cho
Ellen Von Unwerth (German, 1954-) Fashion and Fetish in a Female Fantasyland (2011), Photograph.

Sex, Politics, and Money: three of the major conversational faux pas within polite society. What about these three topics causes champagne to spill, and for pearls to be clutched? After all, they are all connected to the very things everyone wants: power and pleasure. What happens when one of three things are pushed to their limits? Well, usually a global outcry that ends in hysteria and shame. However, what is shameful about sex, politics, and money? Nothing, inherently, when it stays in the hands of the white man, but the subversive role of giving power and pleasure to a woman, creates an uproar. Tumultuous applause or heinous backlash: either way everyone will have an opinion on her and her body and it will surely get people talking. Through the artwork of John Willie (1902-1962), from his magazine, Bizarre (1946-1959), and other fetish magazines of the era, the ideologies of BDSM and Bondage practitioners, and the iconography of masks within the fetish and kink communities, we will uncover what it truly means to disrupt the sexist and hetero-normative social constraints of sex and power.

The sexually repressed society of mid-twentieth-century America can be traced back to the puritanical roots of the country. While the nineteenth century in Europe caused an update in the discourse on sexuality, American eroticism was shrowded in shame. The mid-twentieth century would start to subvert these troupes and open a dialog for American consumers. The conservative views on sexuality held true, however, people did pursue their fantasies and were given ample representation of sexuality within the media. Advertisers and artists, alike, have used the female, and to a lesser extent the male, body to “offer a utilitarian product to [people], assuming that attention to the ad would thereby increase.” (Jones 34) The nude body within art and media was not as perverse as people may have wanted to believe.

During the Second World War, Pin-Up, or Cheesecake photos, became a widespread phenomenon and were distributed for mass audiences during the period. Although they were considered taboo “the public enjoyment of pin-up women in movies, ads, and mysteries, however, only registered sexuality as the main signifier of the pin-up figure.” (Dietze 653) Furthering public interest in the idea of women as fetish objects. Not a decade later, Hugh Hefner (1926-2017) released the first issue of Playboy in 1953, which only got more salacious as the years drew on.

However, as time wore on and people got more comfortable with the female form in media, things started to heat up in America. This is due to the strong delineation, but also a lot of imbrication between art and pornography. What constitutes each, and who gets to decide, are the questions at the forefront of many art historians’ and American consumer’s minds. “Categories such as the erotic and the sensual play an important role as middle terms in the system-defining what can or cannot be seen, differentiating allowable and illicit representations of the female body, and categorizing respectable and nonrespectable forms of cultural consumption,” (Nead 326) in order to keep the line, unblurred and understood from all parts of society. The delineation between acceptable and unacceptable forms of the nude derives from the need for social order. Thus this difference between the two hinges on the semantics of politics and class. But what happens when someone strays outside the norm, past the point of “acceptable”? Can people be honest about their untraditional sexual desires in a society that values conformity and purity?

Owning your sexual power comes to a head within these communities that practice kink and fetish. Kink, in a sexual sense, derives from the original definition of kink meaning to twist or bend from a straight path. In this context, we can assume that kink means any form of sexual activity or fantasy that does not conform to traditional sexual behavior in relationships. Fetish, on the other hand, has a more sorted history in terms of its own etymology. The mainstays of the word, fetish, hinge on the worship of an exploited object. “Fetishism emerges as an ever-shifting memesis, an ambiguous state that demystifies and falsifies at the same time, or that reveals its own techniques of masquerade,” (Apter 14) which challenges the power play between the person and the object or person they’re objectifying.

Fetish is highly discussed in the works of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), and psychoanalytic theory derived from his writings. According to Freud, “the concept of fetishism as a redirection of heterosexual desire to object or body part… [is a] displacement explained by the fear of castration incurred by the shock of having glimpsed at the mother’s genitals” (Dietze 653) The problem with the castration theory, is that society then puts all of the power in the hands of men, and emphasis of mother and woman as object. The male view of the world then hinges on “the beauty of the woman as object… [where] she is no longer bearer of guilt, but a perfect product, whose body, stylized and fragmented… is the content of the [image] and the direct recipient of the spectators look,” (Mulvey) which does not open many doors for feminine sexuality to flourish. Kink and fetish work together to disrupt the sexual social norms of a given period.

The Man Behind the Fetish is so… Bizarre

John Willie, nee John Alexander Scott Coutts was born December 9, 1902, in Singapore, but quickly moved to Britain. With the upbringing of the upper-middle class, there are certain rules and regulations that guided how he was meant to act. Of course, these restrictions were not as harsh as those placed upon the women and girls of his class. However, he was still meant to fit into the milieu of whiteness, heteronormativity, and class-based structures that held him and his family toward the top. Willie rejected many of the social standards and “had a predilection for bondage and women’s footwear from a young age, his first contact with the fetish community appears to have occurred during a visit to Sydney, where he discovered a shoe store that had a sideline catering to those with an erotic interest in high-heeled shoes and boot.” (Pine 10) His love for the voyeuristic nature of fetish then turned into a hobby of artistry. He began creating sketches and drawings that would inspire him. “Coutts, in a large part focused upon the subject of fashion and dress as a pretext to present kink subject matter and to generate dialog,” (Pine 18) within the community, for not only circulation but also support.

“The fact that Coutts was British and had therefore been exposed to a particular visual tradition perhaps goes some distance to explain his fluency in the sexual semiotics of dress,” (Pine 11) which would help him create illustrations that were not considered pornography. Thus solidifying the idea that the delineation between pornography and art is merely semantic. His interest in eroticism and sensuality grew until he was 43, in 1945 when he decided that he wanted to start a new magazine focused on the fashion of bondage and BDSM, which catered to fetish communities.

I Read it For The Articles… Fetishistic Desires in Magazines

This magazine would go on to be called Bizarre, and the first publication was printed the following year in 1946. Willie was not only the publisher and editor of the magazine but also the illustrator and photographer behind many of the iconic images within the pages. In this magazine, Willie would go on to “champion freedom of expression and sexual tolerance and bemoaned the general state of politics and social control in midcentury America” (Pine 17) in order to disrupt the power play between societal norms and personal fantasy.  Postwar America was able to have a budding BDSM and fetishistic market due to magazines like Bizarre that “presented itself as merely a slightly saucy girly magazine dedicated to women’s fashions, fancy dress, [and] lingerie… [but ultimately] unified and codified that [fetishistic] subculture and influenced sexual styles and practices as well as the look and content of both “alternative” and popular culture and fashion.” (Pine 2) Willie would go on to be the publisher, editor, and artist of Bizarre for twenty prints of the magazine until 1956 when he sold it to R.E.B; who would have control over the publication until it fell out of print in 1959. However, Willie and his art went on to inspire many different styles of art from the “pin-up” art of Irving Klaw (1910-1966) and fetish artists like Gene Bilbrew (1923-1974) and Eric Stanton (1926-1999).

There was one problem, due to midcentury America’s disavowal of representations of sexuality, Bizarre and other magazines like it needed to follow certain rules in order to stay off the radar of censorship. Willie utilized “nuanced and doubly coded language he employed in Bizarre, he took great pains to avoid nudity, homosexuality, overt violence, or obvious depictions of things that might be read as perverse or immoral and that might rankle those parties who were capable of banning, censoring, or blocking circulation.” (Pine 15) Artists have always tried to ride the line without crossing the boundaries of scandalous topics to tantalize their audiences. “While much fetish-oriented print matter was also of sexually graphic nature and therefore “pornographic” much of it is not, functioning through innuendo and double meaning,” (Pine 8) keeping the magazine from crossing the line of unacceptable in many peoples minds. This attached to the “under the counter” nature of the magazine’s circulation lead way for a more disseminated message. (Pine 15)

Willie’s cartoonish art style was heavily influenced by “the more transgressive fin de siécle print erotica being produced in Paris, Berlin, and London,” (Pine 8) mixed with the style of fashion illustrations found in magazines such as Vogue (1892-). Although he mostly focused on erotic art and an idealized female form bound, gagged, or in another form of fetishistic fantasy within his publications, he “very rarely printed any depictions of full or even partial nudity in Bizarre, and if he did, renderings were decidedly comedic or ‘artistic’.” (Pine 18) This helped avoid the censors and conform to the idea of Bizarre as a “fashion magazine” for extreme fashions. His illusions can be seen in seam bursting corsets, high heels, thigh-high boots, leather opera gloves, lingerie and with some restraints such as a gag, blindfold, rope, or in a cage. These are all staple fashions worn by practitioners of BDSM and Bondage.

Bondage, Bondage, Bondage, Always Funny in a Rich Mans World

Bondage is just one part of the BDSM and kink communities fantasy. BDSM “represents three categories: bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism. The practice is a sexual exchange of power between consenting participants.” (Wheeler) This is a sexual practice that favors roleplay and the act of transformation and as in any act of disrobing there are “references to perceived notions of agency and change.” (Dodds 78) Within this community, there is a thought that all BDSM is about “the giving and receiving of physical or psychological pain for erotic pleasure, and its practices include “corporal punishment” activities such as spanking, caning, paddling, flogging, and whipping,…shocks (electric play) and genital piercing. However, not all activities in which pro-dommes and clients engage involve pain…Most, on the other hand, are about dominance and submission (D/S) – a term that refers to one partner assuming control while the other relinquishes his or her power. ” (Lindermann 592) Powerplay is the most important aspect of a relationship that involves BDSM.

From Lace to Leather: The Masks of BDSM (and how to be careful while in them)

Pushing the limits of sex is not the only thing that BDSM and Bondage do to create fantasy and powerplay. The fashion that surrounds the conversation helps the practitioners feel and fulfill their parts within their “playtime”. Corsets, high-heels, rope, leather, and latex are all mainstays of the community. However, those garments and materials only constrict the body, but a mask, in many different forms, given to a partner can enhance the sexual response of both practitioners. The blindfold and the gag, as seen in John Willie’s illustrations are not only meant for aesthetic purposes. The mission of the blindfold and gag is to take away at least one of the senses, most notably visual and auditory, respectively. By taking away one of the senses, the other senses become even stronger. Human touch is the most significant when having a sexual encounter, so by heightening that sensory response a person is able to derive a better sexual response. In the broader consciousness of BDSM and Bondage, pain and sensory Deprivation are mainstays of the community and they are two sides of a different coin. As described in a 1960 report done by researchers at Harvard Medical, “sensory pain characteristically accompanies an excess of stimulation, whereas the stress of sensory deprivation (lack of stimulation) and monotony (lack of change in stimulation) are associated with a dearth of stimulation.” (Petrie 80) With stimulation at the forefront of sex, there is no question as to the way power, pleasure, pain, and sex are all linked.

Regardless of the masks being used for sensory deprivation, they also have another function: to act as an entryway to transformation. Any “act of disrobing, the audience-performer interface was also marked by a distinct process of change.” (Dodds 76) Masks and veils of any kind can enhance this effect. They act as a shield of true identity. In a mask, as it is in roleplay, is a way to “put on” a new persona that is as close or separate from the wearer and practitioner as they would like. “Female masquerade in its textual and erotically challenging vacillations allows women who may feel compelled to disavow, in this case, their own desires, to locate desire differently,” (Hinton, 176) both metaphorically and physically. This can shift the way that the power play between two individuals who are participating to shift back and forth, as equally as they are comfortable with. Meaning that “the body and the self will not only be transformed by also exalted or empowered by the fetish,” (Fernbach 27) which is given light by the masks.

Gags and other BDSM masks as illustrated by John Willie

With such an intensified form of intimacy, the concept of consent and aftercare are the linchpins of a healthy BDSM relationship. Throughout the experience, “it [is] imperative that all partners feel safe and cared for, but everyone must also have a deep understanding of the other’s boundaries, comfort levels, and sexual interests” (Wheeler) and ultimately the submissive, in the dominant and submissive relationship, has the most power. They set the boundaries and the expectations that they are comfortable to consent to. This is why having a “safeword”, a word that communicates stop, redirect, or pause within the confines of sex, is so important to communicate within not only the world of BDSM but in any partner anyone has.

Consent during sexual activity is not the only conversation that needs to be continually had. After a sexual encounter is finished, there is an important step that many people forget about and that is aftercare. Aftercare can be defined as “Cuddling, Holding, Pillow-Talk, Sensual Touch, Laughter, Taking Care of Your Partners’ Physical and/or Emotional Well-Being, Discussing Things That Went Well (Giving Positive Reinforcement)”, (Atwood) in the hopes of making sure that your partner is continually safe and in a good headspace. This practice originated in the BDSM community but can help form a more intimate relationship between any partners, regardless of practices. Neglecting this step can lead to partners feeling used, unloved, unimportant, and ultimately not taking care of a submissive partner can lead to abusive use of power that should not be present in the community.

A Woman Can Have It All, Can’t She?

Within the community of BDSM and Bondage, the power of who sees and gets to see is highly important in the powerplay between individuals. Although submissives are able to have control of their experience, the in-between is dictated by the dominant. This makes for a perfect territory for women to play with power and control. “Ideologically, the hedonism central to the Playboy [and Bizarre] lifestyle would not have been possible without women free to live and love as they like,” (Pitzulo 260) meaning that women are able to choose which role they play. Women, in this sense, get to experience the ideas of power and control that are often stripped from them in a society that still does not have equality between sexes. This is supplemented by the idea that all art that Willie created depicting a couple was a female-female relationship. This not only took away the sexual politics and power dynamic that surrounds a heterosexual couple but is a way for both women and men to find their fantasy in the dominant and submissive relationship.

Willie’s artistic style then brings into question the ideologies of the male versus the female gaze. While “the gaze is used to help explain the hierarchical power relations between two or more groups, or alternatively between a group and an “object,” (Manlove 84) there is always room for troupes and stereotypes to be subverted. Bizarre did not bring light into a darker, more maligned condition of sexual behavior, it also created discourse on female sexuality. In her 1975 work, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, Laura Mulvey notes that “in a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male and passive/female.” (Mulvey) Due to the lack of male figures, there is no active male participant, except for the spectator. However, because they are drawings and not photographs they do not carry the same ramifications that a centerfold or pin-up would.

“Woman displayed as a sexual object is a leitmotif of erotic spectacle… she holds the look, plays to and signifies male desire.” (Mulvey) However, in a post-sexual liberated society, women are allowed to take back the power that the male gaze has held over them. This is why Bizarre and Willie’s illustrations were disruptive to the sexually repressed society. They “provide[d] the matrix upon which 1950s masculinity imprints its complex and conflicting fears and desires. At the same time, the naked beauty is a symbol of rebellion against the burden and frustration of domesticity and advocates a new, less restrained sexual economy.” (Dietze 656) In this, we are lead to assume that, the male gaze can be broken because not only men felt the trepidation and ennui with domestic life- women also felt it, and needed freedom from the confines society put them in.

John Willie’s Lasting Legacy

“I think women want to be seductive; I hope they don’t turn into nuns covered up head-to-toe. There needs to be attraction between men and women; you can’t hide from that and it must exist. We just have to be careful and what’s important is the respect…I’m not going to start taking pictures of women wearing boxy clothes looking sad or harsh. No, women want to be beautiful and I want to show that.” -Ellen Von Unwerth (Alexander)

While John Willie may have been among the prominent pioneering figures in the art of fetish and female sexuality, he is certainly not the last. Ellen Von Unwerth (1954-) is a contemporary German fashion photographer that utilizes the imagery and ideologies of Willie with a feminist lens. This subverts the narrative even more. Through this, she is able to create dreamscapes of a world that are entirely made up of women in power, who also own their sexuality.The power to choose is strong in the sentiment of Unwerth’s oeuvre. She not only knows how to respect her models and their choices, but she understands them because she herself was a model. This makes a stronger push toward fetishistic desires to become more aligned with female sexuality. For so long people have thought that kink and fetish catered only to the male gaze, and to a certain extent it does, but with photographers like Unwerth- a safer space for females is opened for women to explore their desires and push their own narratives of sexuality as Willie had intended originally.

Unwerth is not the only person in popular culture that is inspired by the fetishistic imagery of the mid-century. Violet Chachki (1992-) is an American drag performer, model, burlesque dancer, and aerial acrobat who is a self-proclaimed John Willie enthusiast. Her costumes and makeup are inspired by bondage and fetish magazines but with a sense of opulence. “Her drag aesthetic is a lesson in sartorial history. Often inspired by vintage glamour, Chachki’s drag is often inspired from Dita Von Teese, with a hint of fetishism to it—bold, but detailed with an intelligent and sophisticated understanding of fashion.” (Chaudhri) With Chachki’s references to Willie’s fetishistic glamour, she opens the conversation to the queer community. Thus even broadening the ideologies of power and pleasure to more marginalized groups of people. Willie was able to open the floodgates of sexual liberation for all types of people just because he started a magazine and talked about something he liked. The story of Willie is not a grand one, but the legacy of him and his ideologies have changed the world of sexuality forever.

Masks within the community of BDSM represent much more than just a piece of fabric. They help partners embody, transform, and experience sexual pleasure and power. Like in any performance the suspension of disbelief and liminality of transformation can create out-of-body experiences only enhanced by the sensory deprivation of masks. However, it was never about the masks, it was never about the clothing- it was about owning your sexual power. In any regard, that is the most powerful thing anyone can do, as intimacy and power walk alongside each other.  Without artists and pioneers like John Willie, marginalized people who are historically excluded from conversations of sexual agency would not be able to have sex-positive notions within the discourse of sexuality.

Photographs by Von Unwerth
Thomas Mossey
Dr. Alla Myzelev 
ARTH 300: Fashion, Art and Politics  
Spring 2021

Bibliography

-Alexander, Ella. “Ellen Von Unwerth Talks Selfies, Sexual Harassment, and Her Ultimate Muse,” (2018). Accessed April 28, 2021. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a20159172/ellen-von-unwerth-interview/

-Apter, Emily. “Fetishism in Theory: Marx, Freud, Baudrillard.” In Feminizing the Fetish: Psychoanalysis and Narrative Obsession in Turn-of-the Century France, 1-14. Ithaca; London: Cornell University Press, 1991. Accessed April 28, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt207g6z5.4

-Atwood, Kimberly. “Aftercare- An Important (Though Often Overlooked) Step.” Kimberly Atwood Counseling. (2020). Accessed April 16, 2021. https://kimatwood.com/aftercare-an-important-though-often-overlooked-step/ 

-Chaudhri, Shweta. “Drag Queen Violet Chachki Exclusive Interview On Fashion, Pop Culture And Empowerment.” Vogue India. Vogue India, (2019). Accessed April 28, 2021. https://www.vogue.in/content/drag-queen-violet-chachki-on-fashion-pop-culture-lgbtq-empowerment

-Dietze, Gabriele. “Gender Topography of the Fifties: Mickey Spillane and the Post-World-War-II Masculinity Crises.” Amerikastudien / American Studies 43, no. 4 (1998): 645-56. Accessed April 29, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41157423

-Dodds, Sherril. “Embodied Transformations in Neo-Burlesque Striptease.” Dance Research Journal 45, no. 3 (2013): 75-90. Accessed March 27, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43966084

-Downing, Lisa, and Dany Nobus. “The Iconography of Asphyxiophilia: From Fantasmatic Fetish to Forensic Fact.” Paragraph 27, no. 3 (2004): 1-15. Accessed March 27, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43151759

-Fernbach, Amanda. Fantasies of Fetishism: From Decadence to the Post-human. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. (2002). Accessed March 27, 2021. Print.

-Hinton, Laura. “(G)Aping Women; Or, When A Man Plays The Fetish.” Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media 48, no. 2 (2007): 174-200. Accessed March 27, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41552498

-Jones, Marilyn Y., Andrea J. S. Stanaland, and Betsy D. Gelb. “Beefcake and Cheesecake: Insights for Advertisers.” Journal of Advertising 27, no. 2 (1998): 33-51. Accessed April 11, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4189070 .

-Lindemann, Danielle. “Will the Real Dominatrix Please Stand Up: Artistic Purity and Professionalism in the S&M Dungeon.” Sociological Forum 25, no. 3 (2010): 588-606. Accessed March 27, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40783517

-Manlove, Clifford T. “Visual “Drive” and Cinematic Narrative: Reading Gaze Theory in Lacan, Hitchcock, and Mulvey.” Cinema Journal 46, no. 3 (2007): 83-108. Accessed April 29, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30130530

-Mulvey, Laura. Visual Pleasure of Narrative Cinema. (1975). Accessed April 29, 2021. https://www.asu.edu/courses/fms504/total-readings/mulvey-visualpleasure.pdf 

-Pine, Julia. “In Bizarre Fashion: The Double-Voiced Discourse of John Willie’s Fetish Fantasia.” Journal of the History of Sexuality 22, no. 1 (2013): 1-33. Accessed March 27, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23322032.

-Pitzulo, Carrie. “The Battle in Every Man’s Bed: “Playboy” and the Fiery Feminists.” Journal of the History of Sexuality 17, no. 2 (2008): 259-89. Accessed April 12, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30114220

-Nead, Lynda. “The Female Nude: Pornography, Art, and Sexuality.” Signs 15, no. 2 (1990): 323-35. Accessed April 13, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3174488

-Wheeler, Genevieve. “What is BDSM: A Sex Expert Explains What It Really Means.” Elite Daily. (2021). Accessed April 16, 2021. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/what-is-bdsm-a-sex-expert-reveals-exactly-what-it-means-8068256

Our New Reality

Grace Tinklepaugh
Dr. Alla Myzelev
ARTH 300: Fashion, Art, and Politics
Spring 2021

At the beginning of the pandemic, there slowly started to be whispers of people having to wear masks to stop the spread of Covid-19. Masks were not a new concept as many of us knew that in Asian countries it was common for people to wear masks because of pollution and disease, but none of us ever expected it to be a reality in the United States. I first heard about masks at the beginning when the news started documenting what was happening in Italy.

Before being sent home from SUNY Geneseo, the news was beginning to document the effect of the virus in Italy, preparing Americans for what was possible to come. In February, at the beginning of the pandemic before it was in the United States, I was unsure how to feel about masks. On one hand, I was open to wearing one, but on the other I didn’t think in that moment it was necessary. For all of February and the majority of March I did not wear a mask. Once I was home in mid-March me and my family made the conscious decision to start wearing masks as it got worse not only in the United States, but in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. Soon after this my place of work, Wegmans, gave employees the options to wear masks. At first many employees, myself included, did not wear masks. Only a rare few of employees would wear the blue disposable masks to work.

We had clear window glass separating us from customers and a set cleaning schedule that in the beginning many of us felt we were safe enough with these guidelines in place. By the end of March, all employees were expected to wear a mask to work and my employer gave us free disposable masks for each shift, and later gave us two reusable fabric masks to start wearing every day.

In the beginning the first masks I wore were the light blue disposable masks. My mom, who was cautious of Covid-19 early on, had mass ordered reusable fabric masks for our family that we were patiently waiting for. Besides the disposable masks we all know, one of my first reusable masks was made by my Aunt. My aunt started making fabric masks for her friends and family because in the beginning there were little to no reusable masks in stores. My aunt Sue was quick to find videos and templates online to make masks and found the process to be super easy. The first few weeks at the beginning of the pandemic my aunt had stocked up on various designs of fabric and had made around 100 masks that she made for herself, her friends, coworkers, and family. Now that the pandemic has been going on for quite some time my aunt no longer makes masks since so many are sold in stores now.

Since March I either wear disposable light blue masks or reusable fabric masks from Old Navy. I have found that Old Navy makes the best reusable masks for me because the fabric is comfortable, they come in a huge variety of colors and patterns, and the straps on the sides can adjust depending on the tightness you want. This mask is made of 100% cotton and very comfortable for days when I work long shifts and have to wear my mask for upwards of eight hours. My family also now only strictly wears the Old Navy reusable masks because of how comfortable and easy to use they are.

Old Navy fabric reusable masks

My sister and I both work at Wegmans and often have to wear a mask for four to six hours depending on the day. We found these masks are the most comfortable while still keeping us safe. These masks are also in compliance with our work uniform, since our employer wants all employees to have plain colored or patterned masks. I also like these masks because they are so easy to clean and don’t shrink, like other fabric masks tend to do. The reusable fabric masks from old navy are also super affordable and have constant new designs to choose from. The mask I have chosen as my usual mask of choice is a reusable fabric mask from Old Navy. I would consider this mask to be a part of Pandemic fashion as reusable fabric masks are now very popular and a part of everyday fashion and safety.

My mask is a light blue green with white adjustable straps. The mask is 7.5 inches long and 3.5 inches wide. The material used for this mask is 100% cotton and very soft and comfortable to wear. There is one label indicating it is an Old Navy product, what it is made of, and how to wash it.

This object was mass produced and made in China according to the tag on the item. This mask is a light blue green color with white straps on the side. This is not the only color/design that the Old Navy masks come in, but all of them do have white straps regardless. This mask is only one month old. It is still the original shade and was kept well intact. There are no signs of tears or repairs needed to be made. The Old Navy masks that I own all have remained in good condition with the original color still visible and no rips or distress marks. The story behind this mask is that it was bought for me by my mother for Easter. My family’s favorite masks are from Old Navy and they are the ones we strictly buy now. My mom purchased a pack of ten for only around five dollars and split them among our family. This is one of the masks I wear the most regularly because it is one of my favorite colors. The events that influenced the production of this object was the need for a reusable mask during the pandemic. As it was getting harder and harder to find a supply of disposable masks, which you are recommended not to reuse, people needed a new form of mask that would keep you safe and last.

How COVID-19 Took Our Breaths Away…

and How Masks Saved Us

Fig. 1. Pink reusable Mocozy mask paired with a disposable mask underneath; picture taken in our local SUNY Geneseo greenhouse.

I can remember the first time I heard or read about COVID-19 on a social media platform. I was sitting in my bed in Jones Hall, which coincidentally is the quarantine dorm on campus now for those infected with COVID-19, and it was the Fall 2019 semester where my college career was just getting started. I believe my roommate mentioned something about a virus coming from someone eating a bat in China, and it never occurred to me the future would look like what it is today. A lot of people in December in the United States, and even January, were making jokes about the virus, taking it lightly, when in fact we should have started preparing. It was not until mid-February, early March when the risks started becoming more prevalent and taken seriously. Therefore, New York Governor Cuomo announced that all SUNY colleges and universities would need to send their students home for online schooling the rest of the semester. Keep in mind I first heard this news through Cuomo’s tweet on Twitter and it came as a shock because no one was directly seeing the consequences of this virus yet. Since we were notified so late, I had to pack up one suitcase to go home with on the bus I took my seven-hour ride in, and I do not even remember if masks were being recommended at that time or if I had a mask, or if I wore a mask. This bugs me when I think about it. I hope I wore one. No more than a week later, I had to drive up with my mother to move all my belongings out of my room. I do remember we were not wearing masks at the time, but instead, social distancing was only just being recommended. Once I was home for good, the news was on constantly in my home, my mother was watching it as she was working, and I even found myself engrossed in it. I honestly cannot believe I witnessed the virus turn into a pandemic and thinking back to the eerie display of numbers and worldwide count of infected is insane to me now, unreal. I believe the first masks my family bought were a pack of fifty plain white cotton masks, no special design or shape, and no structure either. I remember the chaos that ensued once the CDC recommended masks be enforced, you could barely find any masks, and the ones you could find like on Amazon were marked up so high and would not be available until late May or early June. So, it was a good thing we got those white masks when we did.


Wearing masks never really phased me because I always kept hope in my mind that this would only be temporary. So, I took on the mindset that although I need to wear these annoying masks now, I will not have to forever. Truly, I understand other people’s issues with masks and breathing problems, and I guess since I am younger and have no issues, I had an easier time adjusting, but masks just feel like a part of my face now. Eventually, I became habituated to them and sometimes could not even feel them on my face. I mean honestly, it was just another adjustment I had to get used to, and if it meant protecting myself and others then, of course, I would abide by the rules, I had no objection.

            I guess I decided to wear a mask when everyone else collectively decided to do so, or when my mother insisted that we do, or when New York State sent out guidelines for face coverings. I would consider myself a semi-germaphobe, so I definitely wore masks as soon as I could.


Again, the first masks I wore were just simple straps with no adjustments and a flat cloth. No rounding to it or metal nose piece. Now I will pair it with an additional disposable mask, but back in March 2020, I did not. My family also then bought some packages of disposable masks from Amazon and Costco. Among the mask depletion issue, Lysol and Clorox were hard to find and it was a mad-dash competition between you and the other person at the store to get to the aisle it was in. I remember I bought new Lysol and hand sanitizer before COVID-19 got serious in America, so thankfully I was subconsciously prepared. I believe my dad went to Walmart every morning before work to see if they restocked Lysol and Clorox. Only once in a blue moon, he was successful. Oh, that reminds me of the toilet paper shortage. Boy let me tell you, my dad went overload buying toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues in preparation for the future that I can guarantee you I could have built a replica of the Pyramid of Giza. Honestly, people were comparing it to the apocalypse even in March and April, and I kind of shrugged it off, maybe not realizing the reality of it all, but I would use that word to describe it as I am looking back on the experience. It is just so crazy I experienced this in my young life.

You know, I always wished that something would happen to myself or my generation that we could say in the future “I lived through that,” but I certainly did not expect it to be this virus.

-Ashlee Rose Kuzemchak

Fig. 2. Handmade mask sewed by my mother; two ribbon-like ties and decorative markers to dictate inside and outside and owner of the mask.

My mother was considered the mask maker in my household during the mask shortages. She cut up old pieces of my cotton t-shirts and used ribbon as ties. She simply just sewed pieces of fabric to the ribbons, creating two bows that would go around the back of the neck and the top of the head. They were a nuisance to use in my opinion and would get caught in my hair all the time. She stepped it up to more structured masks with a pleated effect on the sides for a more contoured shape, but she still used the two ribbons, so it was not any better in my opinion. I am also a huge proponent of sustainability, so reusable masks were very important to me and I also tried to share the word to anyone that they should cut the straps of their disposable masks. Therefore, the predominant masks I wore from March 2020 up until now have been reusable ones, mainly from a pack of eight I got from Amazon. I refused to buy many reusable masks because I had planned to stop needing them shortly, so although I had to wash them more often, I did save money. My mask collection consists of pink patterned and blue patterned which match denim, so I always look put together. They have adjustable straps and a metal nose piece for contour, along with an insert where you can put another filter. More recently, near February 2021, the CDC recommended the public double-mask, so I would pair my reusable ones with disposable ones. Additionally, if I went to public places off-campus, my mother recommended I wear the K95 filter masks, a step below N95. These are extremely tight but very effective. What I find interesting is that certain masks have become associated with certain stereotypes. For example, the K95s or N95s have been associated with “goody-two-shoes” and the fancier patterned reusable masks have been associated with teenage and college girls. It is amazing how these stereotypes and conclusions that are widely accepted can force you to act a certain way, but they can, and I have even experienced this when wearing my K95 masks and feeling a bit embarrassed. However, health over judgment is always my motto. I remember my roommate had the flu in Spring 2020 before COVID-19 was a huge thing and my friends made fun of me for wearing a mask in my room. I saw it as no big deal because I did not want to get the flu and miss out on classes and work, and luckily, I did not. I do always get the flu shot though, and she did not, so it is no surprise that she suffered. I do want to mention that I do not wear reusable masks repeatedly, I wear them for one day and then wash them on laundry day, and I always cut the straps to my disposable masks. Currently, I am continuing to double mask, however, I might reconsider once I receive my second vaccine shot to decrease the waste of disposable masks.

Object Catalogue


Fig. 3. Image of pink Mocozy mask up-close; details include rubber adjusters, brand label, stitching, and pattern. 
  1. Object/Work: Mask
  2. Creator: Mocozy Inc.
  3. Designer: AECKS
  4. Date Made: August 15, 2020
  5. Date Purchased: August 9, 2020
  6. Material and Technique: The mask is made of cotton, which is supposed to be the most effective material for reusable masks. It is described as being washable by handwashing and air drying to protect the fabric. The mask consists of three layers with adjustable earloops with rubber sliders, and a metal nose clip. The mask in discussion is pink, however, the masks also come in blue and black. The pink mask has darker pink almost magenta polka dots and white ‘x’s.
  7. Facture/Description: The mask has six visible lines of stitching on the front, two along the bottom contouring the chin, two along the side to support the straps attached to the fabric, one at the nose vertically to create a visual design, and one horizontally across the top of the mask. The seams are machine-made due to the consistency. Located on the left bottom there is a white rectangular tag that lists the manufacturer, Mocozy, in black letters. On the inner side, there is a slit opening on the left side where one can insert another filter. The inside is white. The company explains that the pocket or slit allows an individual to place a PM 2.5 filter to increase protection.
  8. Part of the series? No
  9. Place where it was made: Mocozy Inc. was established in Los Angeles, California. The specific factory where these masks were produced is not listed, but the business address is listed as 1265 Johnson Dr. Unit A City of Industry, CA 91745.