The art of Japanese masks and kimonos.

The art of Japanese masks and kimonos. Every year I try to incorporate something new into my repertoire ofprojects or add a new twist on an old theme. The Chinese New Year Chinese New Year (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: Chūnji��), or Spring Festival is aperfect time to expand my students' exposure to Oriental art. Idecided to make this year's project a combination of mask makingand printmaking printmakingArt form consisting of the production of images, usually on paper but occasionally on fabric, parchment, plastic, or other support, by various techniques of multiplication, under the direct supervision of or by the hand of the artist. as we examined the Japanese culture. Japan is a fascinating country to study and "Arts ofJapan" was one of my favorite courses in college. My instructor hadjust returned from a sabbatical sab��bat��i��cal? also sab��bat��icadj.1. Relating to a sabbatical year.2. Sabbatical also Sabbatic Relating or appropriate to the Sabbath as the day of rest.n.A sabbatical year. in Japan and was ecstatic to shareeverything he had observed and learned about the country, the people andthe art. I hoped my similar enthusiasm for the culture would ignite mystudents' excitement about Japan and the project at hand. After showing the children pictures of the people, places and artof Japan in a PowerPoint slideshow I created, I revealed the details oftheir next project. They were to create a Japanese mask similar to theones I had shown them. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Japanese masks have been worn for a number of reasons. In the pastthey were often used in plays and celebrations. Today in Japan, socialmasks are essential in many party gatherings as a form of expressingone's personality. The fourth-grade students were going to create amask like the actual example I owned using plaster gauze gauze(gawz) a light, open-meshed fabric of muslin or similar material.absorbable gauze? gauze made from oxidized cellulose. wrap andplastic face molds, while the fifth-graders were instructed to choosefrom a variety of masks. The book, Cut and Make Japanese Masks (DoverPublications; 1994), was a helpful resource for the fifth-graders informing their masks out of poster board decorated with acrylic paint. The experience of following a pattern for construction was animportant part of the project because the students not only had to learnhow to use the patterns, but also had to decide the best way to transferor reinterpret re��in��ter��pret?tr.v. re��in��ter��pret��ed, re��in��ter��pret��ing, re��in��ter��pretsTo interpret again or anew.re the details. The students found this to be a realchallenge! After completion of the masks, students were shown a number ofJapanese fabric designs retrieved from the Internet. They looked at eachone until they found one that caught their eye. Many of the patternswere incredibly intricate and beautiful to look at, but appeared toocomplex for the students' next step of making a block print of thefabric pattern. I instructed the children to choose only a part of the design andreduce it to basic lines. Next they transferred their simplified designto a small piece of rubber printing material. Using linoleum linoleum(lĭnō`lēəm), resilient floor or wall covering made of burlap, canvas, or felt, surfaced with a composition of wood flour, oxidized linseed oil, gums or other ingredients, and coloring matter. cuttingtools, students carved their design into the block. After examining a real Japanese kimono kimonoGarment worn by Japanese men and women from the Early Nara period (645–724) to the present. The essential kimono is an ankle-length gown with long, full sleeves and a V-neck. , the children chose acolored piece of 18" x 24" construction paper and drew anoutline of the mask, neck and upper torso of a figure wearing a kimono.Often, masks worn by male actors featured either a human face orsometimes that of an animal. As a result, some of my students decided tocreate monkey masks similar to the ones found in the resource book, yetthe kimono and body remained human. With the mask size traced on thepaper in pencil, we made sure to do our best to draw the figure in thecorrect proportions. The neck and kimono were then outlined with blackmarker. Finally, ink was applied to the design blocks and students printedthe design onto the kimono. Only black ink was used to simplify theprinting process and to emphasize the design. The finishing touch camein adding color to the band and sash. Attaching the mask to the printedkimono completed the project. The students were amazed at their accomplishments, and beamed withpride while receiving many compliments from fellow students and facultyfor a job well done! Nancy Johnston Brooks is an art teacher at Mary Lee For the wife of Robert E. Lee, see Mary Anna Custis Lee.Mary Lee (n��e Walsh) (February 14, 1821 – September 18, 1909) was an Irish-Australian suffragist and social reformer in South Australia.Mary Walsh was born in Ireland. ClarkElementary in St. Marys, Georgia. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Upper-elementary students will ... * gain a better understanding of the Japanese culture throughexamining the masks used in Japan. * create a mask based on one they have read about, looked at on theInternet or viewed in other resources. * gain a better understanding of how to construct a mask from apattern. * examine different fabric patterns found in Japan and use them increating a printed kimono. MATERIALS * Acrylic paint in various colors, including gold, silver andbronze * Water-based black printing ink * Plastic mask molds * Plaster gauze strips * Poster board * Scissors and glue * Soft-cut print blocks * Linoleum cutters * Brayers and inking plates * 18" x 24" colored construction paper