j
IMAGINETHATPARADE–CLASSROOMPROJECT
GARGANTUANABSTRACTCHARACTERMASKS
Expressiveandpowerful,masksarecommonelementsincontemporaryandtraditional
theater,festivals,pageants,ceremonies,andritualsthroughouthistoryaroundtheworld.
ËStudentswillworktocreateaGargantuanAbstractCharacterMasksandbringthemtotheFestival. ËDuringtheImaginationFestivalyourclasssharetheiruniquecharactercreationswiththewholeFestivalasthey
participateintheImagineThatParade.
OBJECTIVE:
• Toencouragechildren’soriginalthinking,problemsolving,andappreciationofvolumesandartforms.
• Tohavechildrencreateuniqueandintriguinglargescale,abstractmasksusingabstractart,character,andidentity
astheirtopdesignproblemsbasedontheirresearchofcontemporaryimageryandthehistoryofmasktraditions
aroundtheworld.
STUDENTSORCHILDWILL:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gainappreciationofmasktraditionsfromdiverseculturesaroundtheworld,especiallythoseusinglargescale
masks,andinterpretthisinformationintodesiredcreationsdisplayingtheirownnotionsofcharacter,identity,and
abstraction.
Trytoimagineauniqueandboldabstractdesignthatwillconveyexpressionsofidentityandcharacter.
Enhancethevisualimpactoftheirmasksusingboldcollaged,drawn,andpaintedpatterns,cutouts,slits,andother
materialsattachedorwovenintothesurfaces.
MATERIALS–Userecycledmaterialslikecardboardorpapergrocerybagsforthebase,thenincludecerealboxes,
toiletpaperandpapertowelrolls,recycledpaperofallkinds,alongwithfoundnaturalmaterials,scrapsoffabric,
yarn,ribbon,crepepaper,glue,variouskindsoftape,andscissors…whatevertheywishtouseinacreativeway…
tocreatetheexpressivecharacteroftheirmask.
SCALE–Themaskshouldbeextralarge–approximatelyaswideasthechild’sshouldersandreachfromthetopof
theirheadtotheirmid-torso…orlarger!
WEARorCARRY–Useelasticribbonorrubberbandsstapledortiedtothemasktomakeitwearableorattacha
sturdyhandletomakeitabletobecarried.
TEACHERORPARENTWILL:
1)
2)
3)
Discussideaswithchildrenaboutusingshapeanddesigntoconveyexpressionandcharacter.
Showexamplesofmasksusedintheaterandritualfromvariousculturesthroughouthistory,anddiscusshow
contemporaryartistsutilizeboldcoloranddesigntoattracttheattentionofviewers.Canthestudentsthinkof
waysinwhichcolorfulabstractdesignwillexpresstheidentityoftheircharacter?
Scheduletimeforthestudentstoplan,gathermaterials,andcreatetheirprojects.
Someresourcestoconsult:
http://marymaking.blogspot.com/2016/05/abstract-cardboard-masks.html
MaryMakingartclasses–AbstractCardboardMasks
http://cargocollective.com/feelgoodfactory/Carton-Animals
LinusandtheFeelGoodFactory–CardoboardBoxMasks
http://newworldsculpture9.blogspot.com/2014/04/alter-ego-mask-show-me-your-trash-and-i.html
Alter-EgoMaskprojectbyPhilLiqueandJustinLong
https://tinkering.exploratorium.edu/cardboard
TheTinkeringStudioOpenMake–Cardboard–February19,2011–Exploratorium,SanFransico,California
http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/index.htm
ArtFactory–AfricanMasksInformationandExamples/AfricanMaskLessons
Maskspossessarichsymbolismandpsychologythatresonatesthroughouthistoryandcultures,withtheirnearuniversallinkstoidentity,thesubconsciousandthesupernatural…maskssymbolizeourabilitytochangeor
transform...-YvonneCarrillo-Huffman-https://australianmuseum.net.au/spirit-masks
Yup'ikmasks—UrsulineConventatSt.Mary’sAkulurakMission,YukonDelta,Alaska,1900
TheYup'ikareEskimosofWesternAlaskawhosemasksweresometimesenormousandimbuedthedancerwith
thespiritthattheyrepresented-animalpeople,(yuit),andinsects,berries,plants,iceandobjectsofeveryday
life.-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masks_among_Eskimo_peoples
BwaandTekeMaskDesigns
Africanmasksareboldlydesignedwithabstractpatternsandbrightcolors.Theyareusedforceremonial
purposes“inreligiousandsocialeventstorepresentthespiritsofancestorsortocontrolthegoodandevil
forcesinthecommunity…Somecombinehumanandanimalfeaturestounitemanwithhisnatural
environment.ThisbondwithnatureisofgreatimportancetotheAfricanandthroughtheagesmaskshave
alwaysbeenusedtoexpressthisrelationship.”-http://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/information/african-mask-functions.htm
AbstractCardboardMasks–MaryMakingArtClass,OrangeCounty,California,2016
TheTinkeringStudioOpenMake–CardboardCardboardMasks–GorgeMakerSpaceMakerCamp
Exploratorium,SanFrancisco,California,2011WhiteSalmon,Washington,2015