Primitive Masks

Year 8 Visual Art students researched primitive art and mask making throughout their 3D studies unit.

The focus topic in Humanities was ‘Living in Asia-Pacific’ so the links when studying Oceanic masks became apparent.

Once the outer shape and designs of mask were drawn in their visual journals, tightly rolled newspaper rods for the support structure were made.  Cardboard and/or scrunched newspaper was used for the protruding facial features and raised areas followed by paper mache application to the surface.

The students concentrated on distortion, elongation or simplification of some of the facial features, the use of additional fibres, protruding parts, head dresses or chest plates.  When painting, they considered the use of either traditional or contemporary colours and evenly spaced application of dots and in some cases, ‘double dots’ for a more dramatic effect.

Level 5

Petra Glaser
Visual Art Specialist
ICA Casey College