69. Wilted Leaf Mask

Even the indoor plants know that winter is here. 

68. Lint Mask

 This bandit wont pick your pocket, he will hide in it. 

67. CD Mask

Data Head Disk Jockey Overlord Overload 

66. Slide Projection Mask

Am I just a projection of reality or is this the real me?

A Brief Report

As humanity pushes through the beginning of the 21st century, the ill side effects our technological addiction are near impossible to deny. Technologies, detrimental environmental impact and psycholo-spiritual tole are increasingly obvious. Humanities faith in technology as cure is dwindling. Yet technological utopian thinking is the underlying pervasive ideology of our modern culture. Denying the truth, we are conditioned to continue business as usual.

A growing number of enlightened youth today are confronted with the consequences imposed upon them by the decisions of recent older generations . They can no longer deny the truth. It is obvious we must reject the culture of the past and begin a new sustainable culture. Yet how can we reject the culture of our upbringing, to reject our own cultural identity? How can we form a new cultural identity when we barely had one to begin with? What do we base our new identity on?

Faced with such difficult questions, I came to a few conclusions.

1. We have much to learn from tribal cultures that have lived in harmony with the earth for thousands of years. Tribal culture is disappearing quickly and we must work to preserve their ancient wisdom.

2. We cannot deny our cultural upbringing and must accept and embrace both the dark and light sides of our modern heritage. Includeing waste, pollution, and mental illness.

3. Art is where culture begins and it is through art that we must begin to assess our current cultural identity and explore possibilities of where to go from here.

65. Jewelry Display Mask

I couldn't decide which earrings to wear today...

So I chose them all.

64. Foam Wrap Mask

Fragile

Last Night I was feeling very fragile.  Having done nothing all day, besides consuming copious amounts of turkey and other Thanksgiving classics, my ego was getting ready to crack.  On my way home from nothing, I stopped by a construction sight dumpster.  Mostly I found lots of scrap wood, but to my delight I found foam wrap.  Perfect for a fragile ego.

63. 59Fifty Mask

Claims to be a gangster but he not even makin' it half the way to Wangster.

Today I decided to be a child of a capitalist.  I went out to get a coffee at fourth coast.  I went to go hang out with my friend Andrew Joyce and we went back to crows nest and got some food.  Perched up in the Crows Nest I peered out the window and I saw a hat blow down the street from around the corner of South Westnedge Market. There the hat is below, next to the trash can.  Urban Ghetto Tumble Weed, rolling down the street.  So American. So I took a picture and ran down the stairs, outside and picked the hat up and put it in my backpack.  I continued my consumer adventures and went out to dinner at shake and steak, bought a pair of boots and went to see a movie at Kalamazoo 10.  Me and my friend Maggie thought that the Facebook Movie was still in theaters.  Turns out we were 2 months late.  So we decided to see a movie anyways.  Don't go see "The Due Date"  it sucked, we left after 20 minutes and then went to see a movie about a runnaway toxic train.  That movie sucked to, so we tried to get a refund.  But they only let us get new tickets, so we went to go see "Love and Other Drugs" partly it was a radical film revealing the truth behind pharmaceutical drug companies in 1996 and then it just becomes a love story porno with people that are too hot to be real. When I got home, I felt really sad for giving in to spending money on things  and trying to be happy by filling myself with nothingness.  At that point I took out that 59Fifty and put it on my face.  Capitalism is depressing. 

62. Tattered Blanket Mask

Junk Burka

61. Matt Board Mask

Knight in Matted Helmet

60. Orange Juice 1/2 Gallon Jug Mask

To the people of the jug mask tribe, the cap was the most important piece. For if one lost their cap, it was believed that your soul could easily be sipped on by evil spirits.  Without the cap, a man would quickly become nothing but the shell of a once lively being. 

59. Duck Tape Mask

"You can get arrested for obstructing your face."

58. Georgia Military College Video Mask

Where is the VCR input?

57. Chocolate Masks

The Product

and its wrapping

Me and my buddies are from the peace center today we are driving down to Columbus, Georgia to protest the school of America's. Check it out at SOAW.org and check out the peace center at peacecenter.wordpress.com

56.5 Bonus! Kool Whip Mask

Top That! 

56. CONSEQUENCE09.ORG Excess Sticker Mask

Even Environmental Campaigns are Wasteful

55. Letter Stencil Mask

Dual Purpose Graffiti Mask

54. Pillow Mask

Trust in me, you can rest with ease

There is something moving underneath me!  Ahhh! the bed is moving!  Its alive!

53. Garland Mask

Christmas With the Plastic Evergreen Beast

52. Crate Mask

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Woah! I just fell asleep on the keyboard.

51. Newspaper Interview Mask

Locally Famous 

Check out WesternHerald.com to read the full story.
Thank You Heather Ewer for the interview.

50.5 Bubble Wrap Mask

Invincible Invisible

Or Not...

50. Kodak Play > Sport Packaging Mask

To celebrate day 50 I went out shopping, I bought a video camera.  Check out this cool mask that came with it for free!

There has been some interest expressed of having others making a mask-a-day.  I wanted to create another tab on this blog that people could post to, but I don't know if it is possible.  Instead, I just made: adaymask.blogspot.com you can post content by emailing: szem47.dayamask@blogger.com.  I have the community rules posted on the wall of the new blog.  Have fun!

49. Fall Leaves Mask

There is nothing Leaft.

48. Drum Skin Mask

"Today I got beat up"

 B'doom Ch'

47. Wicker Basket Mask

"Are you sure there is no candy left! "

"I am looking very closely!"

46. KJSO Concert Brochure Mask

Concert Crasher

Concert Crasher: "ha ha ha ha ha.  With this mask, I can take as many refreshments as I want and no one will know who did it."

Violist: "Um... they are free refreshments, you don't need to steal them.  Like even I know that."

45. Rice Bag Mask

The cheapest way to eat healthy.

Silence of the rice

44. Birthday Mask

Birthday boy is 20.

Today I got two cakes a bottle of wine and the Al Quar'an. The music was awesome.  There was much rapping with a birthday mask on.

43.5 Baby Walker Mask

"Baby, I'm Lonely"

I felt really inspired by this baby walker that I did another mask today.

43. Hub Cap Mask

"Dude, help support our frat, smash this car to support our events."

After a critique in class today over my project, I have decided to document the performance more.  But first I need a video camera.  My birthday is tomorrow....

I am also going to plan a masquerade for celebration of reaching month two.  Either I will provide materials for everyone to make a mask there.  Or I will ask everyone to create a trash mask and bring it with.  The whole masquerade will be documented and posted.  I am looking for collaborators on both masks, performances, planning and documenting.  More info on everything to come. 

Thanks for the Support.

P.S.

 For anyone that is in Kalamazoo Michigan should come check out my art piece on display at Western Michigan on the lawn between the art school aka Korman Hall and the parking structure.

It is titled "Rest Stop for the Weary Post-Modernist" you can go in and hang out. 

42. Basket Cozy Mask

A Basket Case and 19 Potatoes

41. Fabric Sample Mask

What decade am I from?

40. Industrial Light Shade Mask

Temple. Altar. Meditate. Symmetry. Trash.

I am mask and I am masked.