When we faced a mask shortage earlier this year, seamstresses took up the call and began producing them in their homes. Since then, the world has settled into a new “normal” and masks have become a staple of daily life. It is no surprise to find that artists are the next ones in line to work with these materials.

But this time, they are using the mask as a new medium for self-expression and social commentary. The Vicki Myhren Art Gallery, located in the Shwayder Art Building on campus, chose to display some of these masks this quarter. The exhibit called artists from Denver and beyond to explore what the face mask means to them and its significance in our world. 

Many of these masks are not functional. Rather, they are manifestations of what the masks we wear signify. The mask is a symbol of a new normal. These artists took that symbol and transformed it into something that comments on the deeper and more troublesome feelings we are experiencing during the pandemic. 

The exhibit juxtaposes the tragedy and humor of our times. For example, a mask titled “Incalculable Loss,” is made from hospital tags with the names and locations of Americans who have died of COVID-19. Next to it sits one titled “How to Survive a Plague” made from condom wrappers. The proximity of these masks comments on the tumultuous state of the world. Sometimes, seeking humor when you sit next to death is the best way to cope with the indescribable emotions that come with it. 

The exhibit goes further, exploring the situations and difficulties we face with the masks themselves. A mask that stands out is Scott Burgees’s “For the Unseen Smiles.” A blossoming conglomeration of curved bamboo and colorful plastic form crescents represent the smiles we are unable to see in our daily lives. 

Across the gallery is another mask that reminds us of the human connection we long for. Titled “Contact,” this mask is made for two. It consists of two face pieces, connected at the cheek. Extending from the mouths are two long respiration tubes, so the wearers may touch without sharing their potentially deadly breaths. 

Walking through this exhibit is a surreal reflection of our current circumstances. It feels like we are looking at some point in the future, when all of this has passed and masks are just old relics sitting in junk drawers. The most surreal part is feeling the mask on your face and remembering we are still living in an unprecedented pandemic.