A very costly masque prepared but not shown, 2017
In this series, “A very costly masque prepared but not shown”, 2017, the title is a phrase taken from descriptions of the entertainment provided for Queen Elizabeth I in 1575 during one of her visits to Kenilworth. Villagers and townsfolk customarily provided the most lavish of entertainment to impress—seemingly simple theatrical productions that, from contemporary descriptions, must have appeared as pure magic. I am fascinated by these descriptions, and imagine myself present, breathing in colored air in my mind’s eye.
A collaborative, performative process for this studio-based project involved contributing artists and models Patricia Kirshner and Allison Plass.
Images are available as archival pigment prints, 16 in. x 20 in., editions of 5, printed on Canson Rag Photographique by master printer Jason Burstein of Conveyor Arts.