Aztec Masks

These masks were worn by dancers in the ritual theater production “A Whole Other Ballgame,” conceived and directed by Judith Mann in 1975. The concept was about the Aztecs and their world view. The masks represented the 20 days in the Aztec monthly calendar, with each symbolizing a sacred animal or natural element. The masks were created in workshops which I held with some of the dancers, and some were crafted by me alone. Ever since that production, I had imagined these masks as forest spirits, attached to trees. In 2018, I had the opportunity to display them in just this way in an exhibit sponsored by Collaborative Concepts, at Saunders Farm in Garrison, NY. These photos were taken there and present a selection of the 20 masks. (The Aztec name is in parenthesis following the English language title.)