Copy Print: Bauhaus Theater Mask Designed by T. Lux Feininger c. 1928 - 1949

Curator: Looking at this photographic copy print titled "Bauhaus Theater Mask," designed by T. Lux Feininger, what strikes you first? Editor: An unsettling, almost insectile quality. The bulbous eyes and extended proboscis-like form seem both futuristic and strangely archaic. Curator: Indeed. Feininger, born in 1910, created this within the Bauhaus's vibrant experimental theater scene. These masks were instruments for exploring abstract movement and emotion. Editor: It makes you wonder, what performances were staged with such unconventional masks? What new social roles were they testing? Curator: The mask's form invites a breakdown of identity. It's not about representing a character, but abstracting and distorting the performer. Editor: Perhaps the alienation it evokes was intentional, reflecting the anxieties of a rapidly changing society. Curator: Yes, and the emphasis on materials—the hard, reflective surfaces—speaks to a fascination with industrial modernity. I find the contrast between its hard materiality and playful intent particularly compelling.