July 19th
Weekly Art History Lesson!
Whether your sitting at dinner, or
driving in the car, you may be looking for something creative to talk to your camper about. So why not talk about the art of masks?!
Masks have been in existence before the Stone-Age era and have been vehicles for theater and performance since their invention. Masks can have any number of features or exaggerations and
have complex meanings. Interestingly, masks are an art form that is universal.
Even before another human connection every continent has had a form of masks in their
history.
Masks have inspired most modern
artists, including the great master Picasso, and were arguably the inspiration for abstract art).
The masks Camp Leo’s campers have
been making this week are most similar to traditional African performance
attire. In African history masks often represent animals, key features in
African mythology, and are incorporated into performances of protection.
To learn more about African art
forms and masks please visit the links below!
A clickable map of African art and
culture:
A video of an African cultural masked performance:
One of Pablo Picasso's earliest abstract pieces (and inspiration):
If you are also interested in
seeing some of these works yourself Philadelphia has one of the richest
collections of African cultural works in the now public Barnes Collection!
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