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You need more masks in your life — for art this time

Eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that we’re sick of wearing masks everywhere. But as far as we can tell, they’re still very necessary and not going anywhere anytime soon.

So we might as well have fun with them and use them as vehicles for self-expression. That’s the idea, at least, behind the “Mask” exhibition at the Vicki Myrhen Gallery at the University of Denver. The exhibit features the work of 41 artists representing a range of disciplines — all of whom are putting their messages where their mouth is, so to speak.

When it comes to pieces that are simple but chock full of meaning, our favorite is probably Michael Espinoza’s “How to Survive a Plague.” The mask is made from condom wrappers, drawing a direct comparison between the current epidemic and the HIV/AIDS epidemic (which, come to think of it, is also still a current epidemic).

On a purely playful aesthetic level, we love Christina Rodo’s “Covidus,” which takes the form of a wool octopus that has attached itself to the wearer’s face. Combine it with Felicia’s Murray’s “Our Dying Reefs,” a felt mask depicting coral that covers not just the lower face but also the left shoulder, and you’ve got a whole aquatic theme going on. Liz Sexton’s “Porcupinefish” also represents the sea — this exhibition in Denver sure does showcase a lot of oceanic art — but the giant papier-mache puffer might strain the definition of what makes something a “mask,” covering the entire head like a helmet. (We’re also just a tiny bit weirded out by the fact that “Octomask,” by Heather Cox, also takes the form of a mouth-bound octopus wrapped around a head. Y’all have some tentacle-based issues to deal with.)

Some of the masks are deadly serious — “Incalculable Loss” is made from hospital tags bearing the names and locations of Americans killed by COVID-19. Others force levity as blatantly as possible — Scott Burgees’ “For the Unseen Smiles” is adorned with a bunch of plastic crescents representing the smiles we can’t see on our masked neighbors these days.

“BYOO (Bring Your Own Oxygen)” by Tracy Tomko has a sci-fi aspect to it, as two vaguely bong-like tubes with plants

Courtesy of the Vicki Myhren Gallery » Christina Rodo’s “Covidus” is made from wet and needle-felted wool.

Courtesy of the Vicki Myhren Gallery » Tracy Tomko’s “BYOO (Bring Your Own Oxygen)” is made from plastic, foam, elastic, and glue.

inside descend from the mouth-covering. Perhaps the simplest, though, is “Mouthpiece” by Tobias Fike. Beyond the mouth part of the mask, it is just an unadorned, megaphone-shaped cone. We’re pretty sure everyone can hear the message the artist is trying to convey with it loud and clear.

If you find yourself in Denver on a weekend afternoon in the next month, that’s the time to visit the exhibition. After all, that’s the only time you can. Adding an extra degree of synchronicity to the exhibit is the fact that during the rest of the week, the gallery is being used as extra socially-distanced classroom space for the university.

The “Mask” exhibition continues through Dec. 1. Admission is free, but advance appointments are required to facilitate COVID safety practices. If you can’t make it to Denver but you’re still interested, the gallery is hosting a virtual artist panel discussion at 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.

— Nick Gonzales of film feminism

The term ‘girl power’ has always done more for news sound bites and the pop culture zeitgeist than for any actual history of feminism. That’s because it’s a lot easier to market off the Spice Girls and Buffy Summers for press than it is feminist celebrities like Gloria Steinem or Kathleen Hanna. Phillipa Lowthorpe’s new ensemble biopic “Misbehaviour” tries to mesh both the fun of girl power with the seriousness of feminism to mixed results. The British produced feature was originally released in the UK theaters way back in March (the very same week the pandemic broke through interestingly enough) but is just now making its way to the US via VOD.

The comedy-drama follows the events leading up to the 1970 Miss World beauty pageant in London, England through the eyes of many real-life based characters. There’s Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley), the no-nonsense divorced mother trying to get back into university for her career; Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley), the radical former art school student who thinks being loud is the only way to send a message; Pearl Jansen (Loreece Harrison), the South African pageant contestant who fears life might actually be worse once she returns home from the competition; and Jennifer Hosten (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the lovely Miss Grenada contestant who might be the right amount of naïve to make it far into the pageant. Rhys Ifans and Keeley Hawes play married pageant showrunners Eric & Julia Morley, and Bob Hope and his wife Dolores even appear in the cast portrayed by Greg Kinnear and Lesley Manville.

All of their story arcs intersect as Sally, Jo and their fellow Women’s Liberation supporters secretly show up at the televised pageant to make their own live demonstration.

“Misbehaviour” was scripted by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe, but with how their names are listed in the credits, I have to wonder if the original screenplay was written solely by Frayn and Chiappe or was brought in later for rewrites.

Though the reception for the movie has been mostly decent, there have been some reservations about a few things. One is that the story is too serious and important for the lighter tone Lowthorpe set up with “Misbehaviour”. It’s appropriately somber as the film dives into sexism and racism as themes, but then for the rest of the runtime, we get an uplifting, feel-good atmosphere along the lines of a Penny Marshall hit. For the most part, I personally was fine with the mood Lowthorpe set up, though I can see why some viewers would want a more straight forward piece.

The performances are fairly good, especially Mbatha-Raw who practically carries all of the film’s heart on her own. Kinnear’s prosthetics to resemble Hope are a little distracting, though it really looks like he’s putting effort into his portrayal.

All in all, I would say “Misbehaviour” probably could have said a little more about intersectionality in feminism, but it’s alright for an enjoyable 105 minutes on screen.