I know very little about the history of masks, but I know that I have always loved them. From drama masks to Mardi Gras masks, I adore almost every one that I see. My favorite of all, however, are the African tribal masks. My African tribal mask fascination actually began in high school. We were in the Detroit Institute of arts as part of a writing class that I was taking at the time. We were there to watch people and write poems about them. There was something fascinating about going to a place where people were studying art, and studying them instead.
At first, it took a while to find someone who I really wanted to write about. Finally, I found her in the African art room. She was looking at the African tribal masks, totally unaware of me in the room with her. I was pretending to also be looking at their African tribal mask collection, but of course I was secretly observing her. There was something about the way that she interacted with the works of art that I found instantly captivating. She sort of spread her arms out to the assembled African tribal masks as if they were all her friends and she was coming home.
Ever since then, although I never actually met that girl, I have seen African tribal masks through her eyes. Each of the Africa masks have such personality that it is hard to not look at them as if they were alive. I have even begun a small collection of African art and musical instruments myself. Although modest, it makes me feel really fortunate to be able to call those pieces of fine African folk art my own. Every time I look at those African tribal masks, I wonder what they are for. Were they ever used in a ritual, or were they simply made to sell to tourists? Who has touched them, and what do they mean to that person? Are they actual traditional tribal African masks, or are they simply a reflection of the vision of a particular artist?
For me, asking these questions is half of the experience of viewing art. It increases the importance of the African tribal masks to me, and makes them seem deeper and more profound, as it does with all works of art. Although I will never know the answers, it still seems to enrich my soul to ask those questions.
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