Courage Unmasked This Wednesday

On September 12th the second Courage Unmasked auction will take place at American University's Katzen Arts Center. For that event, together with several other artists from around the nation, I was invited to create a mask for the fundraising auction, and for quite a while I have been refining a three dimensional version of my embedded video drawings to make them jump into the fourth dimension with a mask.

In essence, more than 50 artists from all over the country created fine art by transforming radiation masks formally worn by HNC patients to position and immobilize their heads during treatment. These unique masterpieces will be auctioned at the Gala on the 12th. Money from mask sales and admissions will fund 9114 HNC, dedicated to helping those in financial need during and after treatment.

 911 4 HNC means “Help for Head and Neck Cancer.” This is a unique fund dedicated to granting financial aid directly to patients who have or had head and neck cancer (HNC). Unlike many other foundations, theirs does not give dollars to research.They support only individuals and their families in the locations where money is raised.

Improving the quality of life for those with head and neck cancer is the foremost goal of this endeavor. The 9114HNC fund receives money from the auction of fine art sculpture by artists who transform radiation masks worn by head and neck cancer patients. The money raised goes directly to individual patients who are struggling to make ends meet, whether it’s for taxi fare to the hospital or groceries.

Date: September 12, 2012at AU's gorgeous Katzen Art Museum.

Start Time: 6:30 pm
End Time: 9:30 pm
Buy your tickets here.

Below is my piece that you will see at the Katzen. This is titled "Eyes of  Frida Kahlo" and consists of an assembly of two small LCD screens embedded within the mask and each playing two separate Powerpoint presentations; each has 68 embedded images of Kahlo's self portraits.

The focus of the piece is to envision triumph over pain, as the brave people who have to undergo radiation therapy for head and neck cancer (HNC) have to do.

Eyes of Frida Kahlo (front view)

Eyes of Frida Kahlo, left view

Eyes of Frida Kahlo, right view

Eyes of Frida Kahlo, seen in a dim light

Eyes of Frida Kahlo, seen in the dark