HAPPY PORTRAIT MONDAY

Chris Burden, You'll Never See My Face In Kansas City, 1971

Happy Portrait Monday!

In 1971, performance artist Chris Burden embarked on a days-long mission to go about his business in Kansas City without ever removing this ski mask from his face. We can't help but wonder how differently Burden's performance would be received today as the ski mask takes on significance as a uniform of robbers, renegades, and Spring Breakers alike. While we in British Columbia still possess the legal right to cover our features, Mr. Burden would certainly have a hard go completing his performance in Quebec, where it is now illegal to wear a mask that obscures your features in public.

A few musicians found Burden's performance so inspiring that they launched a contemporary multi-media project that isn't only thematically centred around it, but also takes on its name. Check their interpretation out here.