Ah, you know me...I'm a sucker for a gas mask. Actually thinking over my weekend, I had quite a few gas masks involved in it. Watched Repo! The Genetic Opera with my siblings the other day with their goth interpretation and then there was Wonder Woman with a slightly more creative look at the destructive forces involved in WWI. I think in the end what draws my eye to the gas mask is the dichotomy that is involved with its very nature. The mask is very much a life-saving device, created to prevent people from dying of toxins and poisons. While in development for centuries, it truly came to fruition with the first World War and its use of mustard and chlorine gas on the battlefield. At the start of the second World War, it became a staple in the British household and that particular version (with its exchangeable filters and plastic lenses) is what we think of today. But while the device is life-saving it is also a sign of the destruction that makes the mask even necessary. It was created to protect against chemical warfare and has come to be used to help with our more recent biologic and nuclear dangers. It is a symbol of fear and reminder of a possible apocalyptic future. The gas mask is such an important symbol of this fear that you can find it throughout our pop culture, especially in video games. Much like my favorite sticker, the housewife in a gas mask that I've featured before, I don't really have link to the person behind this. I did find a couple of stickers and decals that use a similar version of this gas mask but nothing that was a clear tie to this particular image. What I enjoy about this image is that combined aesthetic of the gas mask, the flower, and the suit. It brings to mind such a range of possible stories. It could be a statement about the dangers of love, with the man protecting himself from the power of the sentiment. Or it could be that the corporations have taken so much control of the world that their drive for success has corrupted society to such an extent that the beauty of the old world is dangerous. That the price of progress means that we have to shield ourselves from nature. It can also be a story of the possible apocalyptic future and how we have poisoned the land. Whatever story you prefer though, it is certainly an image that allows you the chance to create a meaning of your own. So whether it's one of fear or a brief outlook of hope, the gas mask will remain not only a significant element in graffiti but within our society as well.
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Maggie Ondrey
An amateur photographer and writer capturing a small portion of the city. Archives
August 2017
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