Art from masks, Puerto Rican roots
As we don face masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus, most of us probably aren’t thinking about words such as “elegant” or “fanciful.” But fashion designer Ben Van Beusekom doesn’t think like most of us. The couturier has been turning protective face coverings — both the COVID-19 variety and the gas masks so prominent a hundred years ago — into art.
His creations are on view at downtown Orlando’s CityArts in one of two exhibitions we’re going to visit in the column this week. The second, at the Polasek Museum in Winter Park, is a showcase for the Puerto Rican Artist Collective, and I’ll get to that in a moment.
But first, those masks.
Van Beusekom, who is based in Orlando, has set out to “evoke a sense of fantasy in a time of pandemic chaos.” His creations are featured in “Bombshell: Masquerading Warfare,” an exhibit presented by the Global Peace Film Festival. That might seem an odd pairing — the gas masks used by Van Beusekom evoke the bloody horrors of World War I, about as far from peace as one can get.
But that’s the attraction of the artwork: Out of horror has come something fantastical. All it took was fabric, sequins, color, texture and jewels.
We’re already seeing people customizing their coronavirus masks with nods to their favorite movies, music or theme-park attractions — but this is a step beyond.
Van Beusekom, a Minnesota native who says fashion designer Alexander McQueen inspires him, is also an art director and painter. You might have seen his work when he created a 15-foot statue adorned with Swarovski crystals to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Mall at Millenia. He also created a couture traveling exhibition using the iconic “Big Brown Bags” of Bloomingdales to commemorate that company’s 145th anniversary.
And fashion mavens might have seen his designs on a New York runway for a L’Oréal Professional show.
The Global Peace Film Festival runs through Oct. 4, and “Bombshell: Masquerading Warfare” is on view Sept. 17-Oct. 11. Get more information at peacefilmfest.org/ cityarts.
Over in Winter Park, the Albin Polasek Museum has spent two years working on its latest exhibit, says executive director Debbie Komanski. “Keepers of Heritage Present: Evolving Identities” brings together 19 artists of the
Puerto Rican Artist Collective, which has the goal of illuminating the rich diversity of that island’s people.
“Utilizing various techniques and media, their work reflects the world they have known, its influence on their contemporary consciousness and the complexity of Puerto Rican heritage,” reads the exhibit introduction.
Some artists, such as Angel Rivera Morales and Juan Nieves-Burgos, have taken an abstract route with canvases that burst with colorful emotion. Others have focused literally on the people — whether in the serious faces of “The Caregivers” by Jose Feliciano or the stoic plaster sculptures by Rigoberto Torres.
“The focus of Mr. Torres’s career has been the use of art to define and bring together communities by celebrating the people who live there,” the exhibit explains. And his figures do suggest a celebration — a celebration of fortitude and perseverance.
The works will be in the Polasek gallery through Oct. 25, but they also can be viewed online at Polasek.org.
“Keepers of Heritage Present: Evolving Identities” will next be seen at
the Museo de las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Catch it while you can.
Art exhibits
• Bombshell: Masquerading Warfare: At CityArts, 39 S. Magnolia Ave. in Orlando, Sept. 17-Oct. 11. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. TuesdaysSaturdays. Free. Info: Facebook.com/CityArtsOrlando or 407-648-7060.
• Keepers of Heritage Present: Evolving Iden
tities: At the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, 633 Osceola Ave. in Winter Park, through Oct. 25. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. Sundays. $8-$10 (K-12 students $3). Info: Polasek.org or 407-647-6294.
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more news and reviews of theater and other arts? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts