Forgotten Gods / Masks
Most ancient cultures were polytheistic in nature, and the people could harness the power of their deities for their benefit, by using masks and totems to contact this spirit world. Their use was more than mere ritual; the wearer of the mask, or the supplicant before the totem, was thought to be able to establish a mystical link.
Although the relationship of humans to gods was subservience, and they were at the mercy of the gods’ arbitrary decisions, they felt that if they could decipher signs, they could act wisely to determine their destiny and ward off evil powers.
Through his paintings and drawings in these series’, Len Steckler is interpreting the ancient artifacts as a means to understanding the universal quest of man to answer the questions, and address the fears, we have held since the dawn of humanity.