Curators Put Best Faces Forward for ‘Masking’ Art

Decorative, artistic masks--either as rare as an ancient religious mask from China or as common as one carved from a coconut and found in a tourist shop in Mexico--can make creative home displays.

“Masks really show a commonality among all peoples,” said Irini Vallera-Rickerson, gallery director and art history professor at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. “Every culture has created them from ancient times up to today.”

Vallera-Rickerson and gallery assistant Doug Jackson have curated a show of masks, “The Art of Masking the Human Emotions,” which runs through Wednesday at the college’s Fine Arts Gallery.

“People love masks because of the air of mystery about them,” said Vallera-Rickerson. “We want to know what is underneath the mask.”

Masks were so popular that as early as the 15th century, Italian mask makers were assigned official artisan status.

“In ancient times, masks were used for magical or religious purposes,” she said. “They believed that by putting on masks and performing rituals you could work miracles, like getting crops to grow.”

Vallera-Rickerson and her husband, Robert Rickerson, an architect who teaches exhibition design at OCC, create a new environment for each show at the 1,500-square-foot college gallery. For this show, they paid special attention to color, lighting and placement--the same principles all of us could use for displaying an art collection at home.

The Rickersons, who also design custom homes, manipulated the walls in the gallery to change the atmosphere.

“We used pointed arches in the gallery to create an atmosphere similar to Venice’s and we positioned walls so that you don’t see everything all at once. You’re taken by surprise as if you were walking in Venice and turned the corner and ran into a masked person,” said Vallera-Rickerson.

“The color of the walls is also very important,” she said. “Again it brings the mask out. I only used one dark color so the masks would pop. Too many colors in such a small space would take the emphasis away from the masks.”

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Lighting is also critical.

“It’s important to use track lighting or recessed lighting that can be directed at the piece,” she said. “Dimmers allow you to adjust the light according to the mood you want to create.”

Keep art away from direct sunlight, said Vallera-Rickerson. “The colors, even on masks, will fade in sunlight.”

To display the masks, Vallera-Rickerson used mannequins, “this way you know how the mask would look when it is being worn.”

Kristen Ross of OCC’s exhibition design class found remnants of silk, brocade and veiling to create “costumes” for the mannequins.

Another way to display masks is to set them on small shelves that have been treated with a fire retardant. Place small votive candles or lights behind the masks; light them at night. The dramatic result is that the masks seem to come alive.