What’s behind a mask?
What’s behind a mask?
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=63928&title=African_Masks
While watching the video, think about the characteristics of the masks.
EQ-What purpose do artistic masks serve? What are characteristics of African masks?
Standards: Articulate ideas and themes from diverse
cultures Understand and apply media in processes
in 3D art Classify and discuss non-Western art
What’s Behind a Mask ?Since at least Paleolithic times people have used masks.Made of:wood, basketry, bark, corn husks, cloth, leather, skulls, papier-mâché, and other materialsMasks may cover the face, the entire head, or the head and shoulders, and they are sometimes considered part of an accompanying costume.
. Masks vary widely in their realism or abstraction, their use of symbols, and their ornamentation. The making of masks is a primary artistic outlet in many cultures
Masks from Africa, Oceania, and the Native American cultures of North America are highly prized by art collectors.
(Native American)
Africa
n
1. Ritual-
The function of the masks may be magical or religious; they may appear in rites of passage or as a make-up for
a form of theatre. Masks may disguise a penitent or preside over important ceremonies; they may help mediate with spirits, or offer a protective role to the society who utilize their powers
Types of Masks
Types of Masks
Protective-used during war.
Japanese
Types of Masks
Theatrical- mask were worn in theater productions in ancient times because the plays were often performed in large outdoor amphitheaters, it was difficult to see the details of the actor's face. The mask would help the audience see the intended emotion of the actor.
African MasksUsed in rituals
Fertility Death and rebirth Times of illness Times of famine Celebrations
Beautiful Ancestress MaskChokwe peoples, Zaire and Angola
Banda Mask. Guinea. Nalu or Baga artist, late 19th or early 20th century. Wood, metal, pigment
jaw of a crocodile face of a human horns of an
antelope curved tail of a
chameleon
Today, these masks are most often seen performing for entertainment
Characteristics of African Masks
Symmetrical
Natural Colors
Animal Features
Geometric Abstraction
More Masks
The High Museum African Art Collection Click Here Slide Show of masks Click Here
What do you notice about the painting of these masks?
How to paint your African mask
Use geometric shapes and repeating patterns
They should be symmetrical Use natural colors (red, brown, black,
yellow, and white)
Greek Masks
Exaggerated features helped characters be recognizable at a distance
Only men were aloud to act so it not only allowed them to play different characters but masks allowed men to play women’s roles as well
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