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