Serpentine solutions. (Teaching art with Art).

Serpentine solutions. (Teaching art with Art). People have always been fascinated by snakes and by snakelikeforms. For some, snakes are beautiful. For others, they are frighteningbecause these reptiles reptilesterrestrial or aquatic vertebrates which breathe air through lungs and have a skin covering of horny scales. They are poikilothermic, oviparous or ovoviviparous, and, if they have legs they are short and constructed solely for crawling. are so different from us. While most snakebites are not poisonous, and most snakes that crushanimals don't usually attack human beings, people often don'tknow which ones are dangerous. As a result, they are fearful of allsnakes. Not least, snakes have a reputation for hypnotizing their preybefore killing them, which adds additional fear and mystery to theseanimals. For all of these reasons, snakes are often thought to havemystical power, which shows itself in the religions of many cultures. Artistic images of snakelike forms capture the scaly scal��yadj.1. Covered or partially covered with scales.2. Shedding scales or flakes; flaking.scalyskin condition characterized by scales; scalelike. , slithering,writhing shapes of snakes as they move over the ground or swim in water.Or they may show the swaying effects of snakes as they coil or uncoil.As a result, it is common to call objects that have snakelike forms andshapes "serpentine serpentine(sûr`pəntēn, –tīn), hydrous silicate of magnesium. It occurs in crystalline form only as a pseudomorph having the form of some other mineral and is generally found in the form of chrysotile (silky fibers) and ," even though they may not always be imagesof snakes. For example, a lake in the center of London, England, is called"the Serpentine" because of its twisting, snakelike shape,while Indian burial mounds in Ohio have an obvious serpentine form,especially when seen from the air. Some buildings are surrounded bywalls that undulate undulate/un��du��late/ (-lat)1. to move in waves or in a wavelike motion.2. to have a wavelike appearance, outline, or form.un��dulatory like snakes and are called serpentine. Snakelikeimages are also present everywhere in the world around us. For example,roads and rivers can look like snakes as they wind across and throughvalleys and hillsides. In nature, there are many different kinds of snakes as well asnumbers of mythical, snakelike animals. From careful observation,artists have also used what they know to create artworks based on snakeforms. These shapes and forms are called serpentine, although thesubject of an artwork may have nothing to do with snakes. This isespecially true of abstract art where artists do not have to worry aboutimitating the real world. Artists and designers of all kinds have discovered that serpentinelines help them with jewelry jewelry,personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion.The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. and textile design, as well as picturesthat communicate movement--and also fear. Serpentine qualities can alsobecome part of an artist's personal style or of the culture towhich he or she belongs. The uses of serpentine shapes in art throughout the world is sogreat that it would be impossible to show many of them in a shortarticle. Nevertheless, it is possible to introduce students to severalvery different examples of serpentine forms in the hopes that they willwant to search out other examples for themselves. Their discoveries maythen interest them and help them advance their own artistic education. Students in art classes usually do not want to delay gettinginvolved with an art topic once it has been decided; and they should beencouraged to begin work. But this kind of approach is not likely tohelp them learn very much about the possibilities of an idea unlesssupported with more substantial thinking. For example, it's a goodidea to have follow-up experiences planned that will carry studentsbeyond an introductory level of activity. This can happen when theysearch the work of artists who have used serpentine shapes and forms. Searching for images of snakes, dragons and sea monsters is likelyto be a first step, but with assistance they can then be helped torecognize serpentine shapes that do not depict snakelike animals. And,they can be helped to talk about the special qualities that individualartists have created for themselves. With careful teacher preparation, students can be steered towardimages from different times in history and from different present-daycultures worldwide. The ancient civilizations of Egypt and America, forexample, are especially rich in snake forms, while Chinese and Japaneseart include many fine examples of serpentine lines and shapes. Therhythmic calligraphy calligraphy(kəlĭg`rəfē)[Gr.,=beautiful writing], skilled penmanship practiced as a fine art. See also inscription; paleography.European CalligraphyIn Europe two sorts of handwriting came into being very early. of Islamic art Islamic art encompasses the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people (not necessarily Muslim) who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations. is also rich in these forms. Infact, teacher research is essential if students are to avoid wastingvaluable time randomly paging through books on art. Another potentially rich source of information is to work with ascience teacher to identify different snakelike reptiles found innature. Students can then draw or photocopy pictures of snakes toprovide a solid foundation for the various ways in which they movetogether with their different colors and patterns. Everything we see inart and design that depicts serpentine forms, originally came fromartists observing the world around them. Only later did they changethese shapes to match their artistic ideas. Students in school can alsobenefit by following this path. Yet another approach is for students to visit a local zoo and makesketches of actual snakes that can then be used to help in their schoolwork, both in art and in science. Three of the four images shown in this article depict snakes, butonly one is realistic. The other two are very abstract. A fourth imageis by a well-known American painter whose work, like many others, usessnakelike lines and shapes but does not depict an actual snake. Many other examples are waiting to be discovered and some mayinterest students more then others. The more students see and rememberabout the different examples, however, the greater their power for usingthem will be--much like writing English, where people with largervocabularies are more likely to express themselves better than thosewith a limited vocabulary. THIS PAINTING TOGETHER WITH MOST OF the work by Thomas Hart Bentonshow scenes from the countryside of Midwest America. They are usuallyabout life on farms and in small country towns and almost always havepeople in them. What makes his paintings, including this one, fit the subject ofthis article is that the shapes he painted seem to move in a snakelikeway. The shapes of plants, people, clouds and buildings are distortedand wavy. He doesn't paint snakes, and yet his style of painting isserpentine. The tree in the foreground, including the branches, curve upwardand around, much like a snake might rear up. Smaller versions of theseserpentine curves appear throughout the painting, down to the positionsof the people in the middle distance and to the details in the leaves.As a result, the painting seems to be in a state of constant movement,while all the parts belong together as a unified work of art. This painting may help students when they reach a point in theirart education when they are looking for a style that fits the way theywant to express themselves. They may like the way in which Benton mixesshapes to create a design full of serpentine energy. They may also findthat this painting helps them understand the idea of unity in art betterthan before. THE SAN BLAS ISLANDS San Blas Islands(sän bläs), formerly Mulatas(mlä`täs), archipelago off the northeast coast of Panama. LIE JUST OFF THE north coast of the country ofPanama in Central America Central America,narrow, southernmost region (c.202,200 sq mi/523,698 sq km) of North America, linked to South America at Colombia. It separates the Caribbean from the Pacific. . One of the traditional arts of the CunaIndians who live there--to the one for which they are most famous --is akind of stitchery called reverse applique. A design on the top piece of cloth is cut away to reveal different,usually very brightly colored, pieces underneath. Each piece is joinedand decorated to make a very colorful, abstract decoration. WhenAmericans collect these panels of stitchery (molas), they quite commonlymake them into colorful cushions. Images of snakes have been very important in the art of Central andSouth America South America,fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. for thousands of years. This example is quite recent, butit shows a traditional-looking snake twisting and turning, and fillingmost of the shape of the mola. Like most molas, every available space isdecorated, with abstract flower-like designs filling the leftoverspaces. Inside the undulating serpentine shape Serpentine refers to the curved shape of an object or design which resembles the letter s, or a snake; the latter is the derivation of the term. This shape is often used while riding horses as a riding figure, to help train the animal and help improve the rider. of the snake body are shapesthat resemble the decorative patterns often found on snakes tocamouflage them. While the snake head is visible together with tongueand fangs, they are shown here as decorative features rather thansomething dangerous. IT IS NO WONDER THAT 100 YEARS AGO, when creative artists first sawAfrican art African art,art created by the peoples south of the Sahara.The predominant art forms are masks and figures, which were generally used in religious ceremonies. , they were inspired by its power, especially in its uses ofabstraction. And, since that time, abstract art has remained veryimportant in the Western art of Europe and America. African art isclosely linked to local religions and tribal pageantry such asceremonies and dances--unlike our art where we usually hang picturesfrom walls and display sculpture in public places. This headdress headdress,head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. was carved in the abstract form of a snake with nothought about making it look realistic. Yet, it expresses the idea of asnake probably more strongly than a realistic carving. Its shape isparticularly snakelike, that is. serpentine, in the way it rises upwardin gently swaying curves--just as actual snakes do. The head is carved so that the eyes and the fangs face front andcan all be seen at the same time. The natural camouflage often found onthe bodies of snakes is shown through the use of painted diamonds andtriangles that appear throughout the length of the body. And, instead ofshowing the snake as a cylinder as it would be in real life, it is flatto make it easier to see the edge painted darkly to emphasize itsserpentine line. Students may like the idea of developing headdresses for themselvesthat use similar serpentine ideas. Alternatively, they may like to paintdesigns and pictures that borrow from African sculpture Sculptures are created and symbolized to reflect that of the region that they are made from. From the materials and techniques used to create the piece to the function of the sculpture are very different from region to region. . THIS GREEK SCULPTURE TELLS ABOUT THE punishment by the gods of amythical Trojan priest, Aeneas, and his sons, when he tried to warn thecitizens of Troy about an enormous horse the Greeks had built outsidethe city walls. The Trojans didn't listen and hauled the horseinside the gates of the city. Greek soldiers then came from inside thehorse where they had been hiding and let their allies enter the city andcapture it. As punishment for giving his warning, the Greek gods senttwo large serpents to strangle StrangleAn options strategy where the investor holds a position in both a call and put with different strike prices but with the same maturity and underlying asset. This option strategy is profitable only if there are large movements in the price of the underlying asset. Aeneas and his sons. Everything about the sculpture is serpentine. Aeneas and his sonsare being killed by the serpents that knot their bodies together andeventually strangle them. The human figures twist and turn very muchlike the serpents that are attacking them as they desperately try andescape their coils. In particular, the agony is clear on the face ofAeneas, as he vainly struggles to escape. For students who find this serpentine sculpture interesting, theymay like to make a simplified sculpture of their own--perhaps withclay--in which they try and capture the feeling of these serpentineshapes. Alternatively, they may prefer to use the idea of snakes andpeople in a composition to create their own serpentine idea. There islittle to be gained by trying to copy this work in detail, however, asit is too complex for students to have much chance of success. Guy Hubbard is Professor Emeritus e��mer��i��tus?adj.Retired but retaining an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement: a professor emeritus.n. pl. of Indiana University Indiana University,main campus at Bloomington; state supported; coeducational; chartered 1820 as a seminary, opened 1824. It became a college in 1828 and a university in 1838. The medical center (run jointly with Purdue Univ. ,Bloomington, and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Arts &Activities.