Saturday, April 16, 2011

Masquerade - Venice

As per Aeron's suggestion, my next post following this theme will probably be in regards to the Krampus, I'd forgotten all about them, including their name to begin with. However it is way too goddamn easy to find imagery depicting the famous style of mask worn during the traditional carnivals in Venice. Perhaps my favorite variety of mask; yes, I'd wager even more so than those made traditionally in Japan. The Mediterranean and the Far East are tied in my personal first place preference of mythological bestiary. Long before photography was a mere speculative technology of some far-flung imaginary future, the festivals of old Venice were said in some sources to be wild, unhinged, and at-times orgiastic affairs more akin to ancient pagan Bacchanalia than bourgeois family-friendly carnivalia; as beguiling, mysterious, and depraved as the masks first worn by royal-blooded or silver-tongued revelers and now by wealthy tourists in this fallen age. What strange sights I could capture if I had a time machine (and some knowledge of how it worked), a black&white camera, and the quiet stealth of a ninja.








http://flemmens.deviantart.com/


http://flemmens.deviantart.com/



volto_stick

stock photo : A luxurious golden mask with long feathers on a black background



For those who've recognize these from Eyes Wide Shut. Probably everyone.



















4 comments:

Robert Adam Gilmour said...

Excellent stuff, I wonder where this style came from. After seeing so much of this stuff, you kind of forget that these people must have been trying to look like something or other. What type of person or creature were they trying to portray?

I looked at your art again last night and I'm still amazed, I cant wait for more of your work.

Chad Verrill said...

Some of the images are from Master & Marguerita story? I think it is a czech movie. You can watch it in chapters on youtube. Wild stuff.

Aeron said...

Interesting masks, I was at a festival last night where someone dressed in a cloak and wearing a giant owl mask told your future. A friend asked if they would die alone and the owl told them yes, ha.

There is a lot of great Krampus masks online, check flickr. I'm particularly fascinated with vintage and cheap rubber Halloween masks myself.

Unknown said...

one of my favorite movies