Orville Peck, we’ve all heard of him. Known as the masked Cowboy, Peck has a unique style full of wonder and suspense. His array of masks and larger-than-life suites invite us into his persona. Yet, whenever a light is shone on this figure, a vague sense of obscurity is brought forward and matched with the continuous questions of who is he, and where did the mask come from?
As Peck has stated, “I just woke up one day and it was on my face, and it has always been there.” Peck’s comment offers a cheeky idea that his masks are his theatrical reflection, on identity and self-expression.
Hand-made, Peck’s masks have evolved to come in different colors, sizes, and styles. He can be seen adorned with a black leather mask, that has fringes flowing down to his chest. Or he can be spotted decorated in an eye-covering mask, with fringes laying just barely below his nose. No matter what the pieces are, the bottom half of the country singer’s face is continuously exposed. The exposure creates a paradox of imagination, you understand what half of the puzzle is, but it’s up to your mind to create the rest.
While the masks are continuously a point of conversation, Peck has made it clear that they offer a deeper discourse of gender and sexual identity, and how to freely express it within-country music.
As a member of the LGBTQ community, Peck has used his masks as a stepping stone for sexual expression. By “unmasking” the commonly appointed stereotypes given to country music, Peck has re-written the narrative of gender and sexual roles in-country and taken inspirations such as Dolly Parton, Cowboys singing in rhinestoned suites, and the overall ideas of cowboys. Peck has reworked these limiting ideas and brought them to life in a way that’s applicable to many.
While we truly may never know who the man behind the mask is, it’s safe to say that the mask creates a greater purpose and brings a new wave of sexual freedom.
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