Erin King- Landscapes of the Sacred

I found the reading in the Landscapes of the Sacred about the Mask of the Holy to be very interesting. The holy is so great that if it was revealed all at once, it would overwhelm and over power humans. Therefore, the holy must masks itself in nature. A mask not only creates a new identity, but also hides the identity of the holy as well. The most interesting part of this reading was about Pablo Picasso and the discussion of paintings . Picasso was fascinated all his life with masks used by primitive people, and in his paintings wanted to find the mask that gave life. "He longed 'to paint something that, in defiance of the secular, spiritually exorcised conditions of modern life, would not just challenge, but actually invest the viewer with its iconic power-the lost power of the mask.'" This became an obsession of Picasos. I found this interesting because I had no idea that Picaso was so passionate about this subject matter. Also, I think it is fascinating that the concept of nature masking the holy has been prevalent for so long in history. It shows the importance of this subject matter because it has lasted as a topic for discussion for so long.