Space B
Uncertain Futures Jessica Hall
Masks are a potent symbol of identity, and of covered identity. Masks are as relevant now as they have been in the past, from images of bushrangers with face coverings, military and guerrilla masks, to CCTV images of masked robbers and surgical masks to guard against bacteria. Masks reference fear; of contagion, of the body being invaded or colonised, but they also represent a change in identity for the wearer. A mask can turn an individual into a pack animal, and it can enable that individual to do things they would not do unmasked. It represents a becoming, an in between space where the masked person is neither themselves nor something else. Some of the work uses army imagery and camouflage as a way of visually suggesting the impact of conflict on personal and national identity.
