Las máscaras en el arte popular ecuatoriano: estudio de las máscaras de la diablada de Pillaro, aplicado a la producción escultórica contemporánea

Abstract

One of the objects which has been with man since its beginning, are masks, they have allowed human beings to: act, dance, protest, scare, express, outwit, hide, and to be used as a communication mean of the human interior with other human beings and worlds.

The character is the devilˈs representation, and there are festivities in which this figure is the main character. There is even a festival called Diabladas. The Diablada de Oruro in Bolivia and the Fiesta de la Candelaria of Puno in Peru are among the most widely recognized celebrations in South America. In Ecuador we have the Diablada de Píllaro.

Currently, one of the masks that has achieved worldwide notoriety was designed by the illustrator David Lloyd. It was inspired in the film V for Vendetta by Guy Fawkes that is used by the Anonymous activist group. It has become the symbol of many demonstrators and wordwide groups.

In this artistic proposal, the masks of the Diablada de Píllaro were merged with Guy Fawkes ones to give contemporariness and to update that sense of rebellion which is a characteristic of the masks. Furthermore, even they are a new proposal for masks, some of them were decorated by Píllaro craftsmen themselves to give them a sense of allegiance