I was in the Tampa airport in early March 2020, one of my teammates was wearing a medical-grade mask. My softball team and I were leaving Florida in fear of a travel ban that could leave us with difficulty returning home. The threat of COVID has impacted our short-sighted view but at the time we had only thought it would last a few months. My teammate was asked why she was wearing a mask as it had not been mandated or even encouraged to wear one in public yet. She reminded us she has very bad asthma and contracting COVID could put her in critical condition. She was one of few who was wearing a mask at the time in the very large airport in a highly-populated area. I think in my head wearing a mask was frightening, it was an item associated with operating rooms and experience labs, not our everyday lives. We had been in Florida for roughly four days during spring break before we were told to go home, and we never wore masks. Looking back at that experience it is crazy to see how everything changed so quickly and how our lives would change for at least a year.
After a month or so, I was home on Long Island with my family, and masks were now being enforced in public. I rarely had a reason to leave my home but when I did, I wore a mask. I remember visiting my grandparents who were excited to see me since I had been away at college for several months. I wore a mask and so did both of my grandparents during the visit. However, my grandfather who was already hard of hearing struggled, even more, to participate in conversation as he could no longer lip-read since my mouth was covered. In fact, sometimes he did not even know I was talking let alone what I was saying. This barrier was difficult for both of my grandparents as they feared getting sick and how even their lives would change. As time went on and I continued to stay at home, only I would wear a mask when I went over my grandparents since both sides were essentially always in quarantine.
Visiting my Grandma during the summer of 2020
My camp coworkers and I wearing masks at work
As the summer came around and COVID case numbers decreased more business and activities could open. My summer job was as an arts and crafts teacher at a summer camp. Until then, I really had no reason to leave my house or enter the public sphere. All the employees had to wear masks at the camp while the children did not. Personally, I dreaded wearing a mask in the heat, knowing that July and August would bring 90-degree days with high humanity. But I could not imagine not wearing a mask, not only was it heavily enforced by my superiors but the risk of contracting the virus was still very high and I did not want to put any of my family or friends in danger.
My mother had sewn some cloth masks for me that would be good for when the mask gets dirty from sweat and dirt during the camp day and could easily be reused after a wash. My mom had picked out a fabric with fun patterns to match my creative position. Many other camp counselors and specialists liked wearing masks with fun designs so the campers would like them and have them get used to people wearing masks. We all learned quickly that while many kids understood there was a pandemic, many of the younger could not understand why we had to wear the masks. They would often say cute sayings like “we want to see you smile.” But that would lead me or another employee to explain why the mask needed to be worn, which often was along the lines of “to protect everyone.”
Me playing softball, spring 2021
After the summer, months had gone by of people making predictions of when we would not have to wear masks anymore. I was back at college, happy to be around friends and playing sports I love. To participate in the competition, all athletes must wear a mask during practice. However, my two months in the heat and wearing a mask did not prepare me for heavy breathing while doing sprints. The first month of the fall semester I had just been using the one-use medical masks but during the fall season of softball, I realized I needed not only a more sustainable option but a more comfortable one as well.
A friend had recommended I looked at athletic wear retailers to see if they were selling masks and another teammate suggested Athleta. I was familiar with the brand as they are known for selling athletic clothing to women, encouraging women to pursue strong bodies instead of skinny ones. They were selling packages of masks and so I bought a set of five, all neutral colors. However, the quality was great, and I felt like I could breathe better at practice along with less skin irritation. I specifically liked one with a light blue wash as it matched our uniforms, emphasizing school spirit. I have used those masks mostly until the real reason came along in late February when I needed to order more because I had more practice and needed to wash the masks more often.
In movies and pop culture, superheroes are often wearing the mask, but the fictional public has faith that the masked hero is there to protect them. However, in the real world, the public does not like anonymous figures. Masks are mostly known for covering up one’s face so that they can commit a crime, in other words, it is not a positive thing. Marks are often dark and mysterious even if they do no harm. On the contrary, some people who are activists that wear masks. When looking at several different activists and activist groups that wear masks, the main purposes of covering their faces are protecting their identity, making a statement with the mask and unification. For example, the digital hacker group Anonymous are represented by the Guy Fawkes mask and that specific mask has become a symbol of activism. Other modern examples can be seen in feminist movements around the world such as the Guerilla Girls, known for wearing masks that match their name’s sake and Pussy Riots who sport balaclava masks. The last example of masks used by activist groups is the Zapatistas who stand for the face and voices of the unknown indigenous people of Mexico. Masks are used by activists for three main purposes by groups to further push their agenda despite the contrary association of anonymity with wearing a mask.
Guy Fawkes was an Englishmen who played a major role in the Gunpowder plot, an attempt to blow up the Westminster Palace in 1605. Fawkes was recruited to help pull off the attack by Robert Catesby and his band of men. Fawkes was caught before the explosion went off and Fawkes was tortured to give the names of his conspirators (Guy Fawkes). British graphic designer, David Lloyd, accentuated and stylized Guy Fawkes’ facial features to create the mask worn by the protagonist in the comic-turned movie V for Vendetta. The film concludes with a large crowd, unanimously donning the Fawkes mask. Since then, the mask has been used widely used to cloak the identity of protestors. Some of the larger protests include when the mask was worn by the masses was at a protest against Scientology and the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York (Waites).
Etching of Guy Fawkes
V for Vendetta Movie Poster
Another use of the Guy Fawkes mask is to symbolize the “hacktivist” group, Anonymous. The global group is decentralized but made up of hackers to cause digital distress to those who have abused their power. For example, after the murder of George Floyd, the group is credited with flooding the Minneapolis Police Department’s website and database, rendering it unusable (Tidy, Molloy). They have done similar actions like denouncing the Ku Klux Klan and releasing personal information about members. Another example of their work is hacking the Church of Scientology’s website. Since Anonymous, not a physical group, they only have a general goal and that is to emphasize freedom of speech, fight censorship, and other forms of government control. The summer of 2020 saw the group’s most recent activity starting with the murder of George Floyd and then some activity threatening Donald Trump (ABC NEWS). The anonymity of the group and its purpose of activism is an example of how lack of identity can lead to an amplified voice demanding justice as the mask not only allows those to voice their opinion but also unify as a mass.
Protestors wearing the Guy Fawkes Mask
The artist, Banksy, is another example of how anonymity plays into activism as his identity is unknown while his art brings about controversial topics. He is a graffiti artist, an art form associated with delinquency, known for creating satirical art commenting on social and political issues. Graffiti art is also often associated with anonymity because the artists often cover their faces with a face mask to prevent them from inhaling the paint fumes and aerosol. Graffiti can be seen as one of the more popular art mediums that is used for activism. In 2010, Time Magazine included Banksy as one of the top 100 most influential people (Ellsworth-Jones) Banksy’s persona combines the mystery and fear around anonymity with the idea of a hero, as people are not afraid of his work, they look forward to finding it on the streets of England. People appreciate his work as it often challenged corrupt institutions. His growing success has amplified the voices of the people and their frustrations.
Banksy may be hiding his identity to protect himself from facing vandalism charges or from the public eye, but his anonymity is also hurting his art simultaneously. Part of the Banksy ideology is against consumerism and capitalism, so it is rare for him to sell his art and merchandise with his work on it. His art can be found on alleys and building walls in England. However, his popularity has led to many others selling merchandise with his work on it. Banksy has taken legal action by suing those attempting to make a profit but in a turn of events, lost. The court ruled that due to his lack of identity the right of his work “are much harder to meet when they concern modern and contemporary anonymous works of art for which sufficient information that might be used to ascribe to them a chronological, cultural, or institutional context is lacking.” (Banksy Trademark) Essentially, there is not enough information known about Banksy to complete his formal, government identity.
Banksy’s Time Magazine Cover, 2010
Despite Banksy losing this case, I believe there is room for Banksy to start a new activism campaign. He could make art about the idea of identity and once again challenge the institution, in this case, copyright laws, for attempting to discriminate by conforming identity to formal and privileged aspects, such as address or background. Immigrants, homeless people, or refugees might not have all the necessary information the government requires but is that what will stop them from receiving copyright protection? There is more to one’s identity than those formal aspects. People without those formal details may feel ashamed or threatened that they do not have those credentials. Those formalities also address major societal issues like homelessness, poverty, and discrimination. Banksy is a big enough artist to make a statement like this and claiming that his lack of identity prevents him from copyright protection seems possible to change in the future.
Girl with Balloon, Banksy, 2006 Graffiti Art
Another example of an activist group using masks to protect their identity while unifying and making a socio-political statement is the Zapatistas. The group protests the inclusion of Mexico in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the NAFTA. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is more generally against capitalism and democracy as they feel countries like the United States have their government and economy too closely intertwined without acknowledging it. The United States preaches and tries to spread the free market and total freedom ideology but in fact, the government is heavily involved in the regulation of the economy. The indigenous people of Mexico have been greatly affected by these regulations like NAFTA. The Zapatista Army and protestors wear masks to protect their identity but also represent the “ones without faces” or their indigenous ancestors as they were treated as insignificant to global powers like the United States. There were major student protests after the signing of NAFTA in 1994. Zapatista soldiers occupied 7 Mexican cities. Both parties wore balaclavas or red kerchiefs to be noticed as they felt their facial features caused them to be unnoticed (Wearing a Mask).
Zapatistas Student Protest, wearing balaclavas and red kerchiefs
Feminist groups have also used masks to protect their identity while making their statement. The Guerilla Girls formed in 1985 to protest the lack of representation of female artists in the art world, specifically their representation in museums and galleries as well as international recognition in institutional honors (OUR STORY). The group covers their faces with gorilla masks and uses them to symbolize the group. However, they say the main reason they wear the mask is to keep the focus on the issues they are bringing awareness to (Tate). This is a common theme with all the activist groups mentioned so far, they are not only protecting their livelihood from threats but by not having a specific identity attached to their cause, the cause is accentuated.
Another feminist example of an activist using masks is Pussy Riot, the Russian punk group that demands separation of church and state. They noticed the Russian Orthodox Church carries an anti-woman and anti-LGBT attitude in their practices (Myzelev 2). Free speech is suppressed and there are unusually cruel punishments for women like labor camps. The idea of free speech is considered modern and western while Russia tries to hold on to a traditional way of life. The most notable protest by Pussy Riot was the group performing their punk songs on the stage of the highest Orthodox church in Moscow. They wear brightly colored dresses and tights but also wear bright balaclavas to appear feminine but also rebellious. They were only tried of hooliganism which is an example of Russia not acknowledging women as equal to men, Pussy Riot has a serious message that directly criticizes the two largest institutions of Russia and their trial was not treated as such (7). The use of masks is once again used to protect the identity of those in the group but also to have a rebellious appearance to match their seemingly rebellious agenda.
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, wears face masks bearing the names of Black victims of police violence and racial profiling during the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York Osaka has been selected by The Associated Press as the Female Athlete of the Year. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, top, Seth Wenig)
Even in today’s catastrophic event, the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the peoples’ faces are covered in a protective shield to slow the spread of the virus. People have taken the liberty of expressing their political and social views on the cloth mask, for example having a Black Lives Matter mask or a gender equality symbol. These masks have been worn on people often covered by the media: athletes, politicians, and celebrities along with the public (Masked Not Muzzled). This is another example of the use of masks playing a role in activism. While people’s mouths may be covered, they are still expressing their views and making their voices known. I believe expressing their views in such a forward way will encourage others to think about their views. Also, constantly seeing a message on people’s faces, one of the most notable features of a person, will spread awareness quicker and let people know that others have a concern that they want to be shared.
The relationship between masks and activism has not been entirely for the same purpose but there is a thread between the two. Anonymity helps assist people to express their views without fear of repercussions. Most people assume that someone wearing a mask has bad intentions but often, as we have seen with Banksy and the Guy Fawkes masks, people are just trying to spread awareness of an issue or criticize corrupt institutions. The mask can also protect minority groups like the Zapatistas, Guerilla Girls and Pussy Riot so that they can be noticed by the institutions that overlook them. They have endless possibilities as we have seen with the Banksy court case and the new use of medical masks to spread awareness of current socio-political issues. In all cases, the masks can unify groups representing a collective identity to emphasize their respective cause.
“Banksy Trademark ‘at Risk’ after Street Artist Loses Legal Battle.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 17 Sept. 2020, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/sep/17/banksy-trademark-risk-street-artist-loses-legal-battle-flower-thrower-graffiti#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20Intellectual%20Property,because%20his%20identity%20remained%20hidden.
Ellsworth-Jones, Will. “The Story Behind Banksy.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 Feb. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/.
“Masked Not Muzzled – the Art of the Political Mask.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 July 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/jul/15/masked-not-muzzled-the-art-of-the-political-mask.
Myzelev, Alla. “Pussy Riot: Representing Russian Activism between East and West .” Comparative Media Arts Journal, 2021.
Tidy, David Molloy & Joe. “George Floyd: Anonymous Hackers Re-Emerge amid US Unrest.” BBC News, BBC, 1 June 2020, www.bbc.com/news/technology-52879000.
