Functional Art

There are many examples of functional art (Automobiles, clothing, furniture) but one that is specific to the sporting world is Goalie mask art. In professional hockey, 95% of goalies have their masks painted. Some only use their team logo, while others go all out and express their creative side by having very intricate designs done. This is a very unique example of modern art. The artist's who paint these masks usually are specialists in this area, with some also painting motorcycles and cars as part of their business. The first goalie credited with painting his mask was Boston Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers who painted black stitches on his mask for every time a puck hit it, representing the stitches he would have gotten if he wasn't wearing a mask. Since then, goalies at all levels have been painting their masks. Some of the more notable ones since 1971 when Cheevers first painted his mask are Gilles Gratton's Tiger mask, Gary Bromley's skull mask, Mike Richter's Stature of Liberty mask, Ray Emery's Mohammed Ali mask, and Rick DiPietro's Stars and heros mask.