Abstract
Masks are a universal art form. Various cultures around the world, from the Japanese to the Eskimos, have indigenous masks. In different societies masks take on diverse functions ranging from the sacred and spiritual to the mundane and comical. In my thesis the focus is on masks of West African origin, and further exploration of the masking tradition in African culture.
The objective is to view the masquerade from a postmodern perspective, and incorporate modern computer technology in preserving this ancient art form. This approach is not entirely new. The Dadaists, in the early 1900s, had explored this field in their happenings at the Cabaret Voltaire. Apparently they were better informed about Japanese masks since there was very little awareness of "African art" in Europe at the time.
Non-Western art, and in particular 'African art' had such profound effects on Modernism, through artists like Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso, it is therefore quite logical to expect a similar influence on Postmodernism. An example is Joseph Beuys' performance, How to explain Pictures to a Dead Hare, where the artist had his face painted with a gold foil mask. This line of thought makes it possible to see the traditional masquerade as a precursor to Postmodern performance art.
The visual component of the project involves the use of the computer as a medium of artistic expression, through 3 D modeling and animation. This is achieved using Alias/Wavefront Maya to model and animate the characters. The theme of the animation is ritual performance, and the objective is to change the present popular perception of African masks by regarding them as an essential part of performance rituals.
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