For students in the IB Visual Arts course, the process is even more important than the final product. Combining technical skills with curiosity, students explore artistic theories and applications from around the world through a variety of mediums and materials, including humble cardboard. For these Grade 8 students, the process of exploring masks has provided a journey as creative as their final creations.
Foundational Frames
The unit began with an investigation into masks and their various functions around the world. While many students were familiar with theatrical masks, they also discussed ceremonial purposes such as death masks and the use of masks as status symbols.
Ms. Mehrer, MYP and DP Art and TOK Teacher, then introduced the students to Phlegm, a mural artist from the United Kingdom, and his show Mausoleum of the Giants. One component of the installation featured a room full of oval shapes that he painted to resemble faces. This would become the foundational shape for the students’ work.
To get the students started, Ms. Mehrer created a template for them to then make their own cardboard frames. The unit began to evolve right from the get-go. “The project was called ‘masks,’ but technically they’re helmets,” laughs Ms. Mehrer. “I’ll update the name of the unit next year.”
Using the template, the students created their own base and then had the freedom to shape their helmet however they wanted. “The IB curriculum is moving toward encouraging more experimentation in visual arts, so this unit was a good introduction to that thinking,” explains Ms. Mehrer.
Creative Angle(r)s
Ms. Mehrer’s template was an angler fish, inspired by the class’s visit to We who have known the tides, an Indigenous art collection about the ocean hosted at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Some students took inspiration from this for their masks.
“I wanted to do something based on the environment,” explains Will F. “After some brainstorming I settled on overfishing.” His helmet features paintings of water, fish and a metal net looming over them.
Some students took the mask in an entirely different direction. “We had the freedom to choose whatever we wanted for inspiration. I focused on history,” explains Eva. She created a mask that combined the elements of Ancient Rome with Buddhism, using silver metallic paint and gold 3D features to capture the combination.
The mixed-media and multidimensional approach of the cohort really stood out in this unit, with students creating extensions out of cardboard, textures with metal, paper and papermache, and 3D elements with clay. Some students even made their own original tools in order to create specific textures for their pieces. One student changed the shape of their helmet entirely, shifting away from the oval to a box shape with the goal of making several faces that could be changed out for different expressions.
“They’ve really embraced this project,” says Ms. Mehrer, “and it’s great to see their creativity come out in such a variety of ways.”
Congratulations Grade 8s—we love seeing your creativity thrive and shine. For a glimpse into their process and creations, check out the photos below.
