A changeling is the substitute for a human child stolen away by the fairy folk. This second series of graphite drawings is not about this folklore per se, but how a person is simultaneously hidden and revealed by a mask. Ah, the stuff of psychology and symbolism.
In this series, each drawing is of an isolated, masked person against a blank background. The exception is the first drawings -the one with the two popes, "Schism Shmism". In many ways, this drawing is mostly about the unimportance of superficial differences/schisms between us. It is from a photograph of the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village taken a good friend, Max Henry. Two other drawings in the series are based in part on Max's photos. Thank you popes, cat woman and woman in a veil. Thank you Max.
In the next drawings, I contrasted the young women and flowers with their grim makeup. I also contrasted their demeanors. One seems to express that death is a part of life. The other that death is to be feared and hidden.
The rabbit mask has no expression. It tells us nothing about the person wearing it. Personally, I find such neutral masks frightening. I also find the catwoman drawing a little frightening in that the somewhat androgynous person is showing a bit too many teeth.
The drawing, Bumming a Smoke, is from a photo I took of a teen dressed all Clockwork Orangey when he approached me in my car asking for a cigarette. A bit creepy also. The last three drawings hint at a short sequence.
I've also completed a couple of drawings of small, costumed figures. I’m not sure if I’m going to expand –even greatly expand the series- to include these or other drawings yet to be drawn. I am also considering several additional series –one called "The Other' that will focus on exaggerated or missing shadows.
