Art Project
Talking about Art
In this lesson, we will take inspiration from one of the oldest art objects in LACMA’s collection. The creator of this vessel lived in a settlement in central Iran called Tepe Mushalan about 5,000 years ago and was inspired by a common animal, the ibex, which lived in the area’s grassland plains. The ibex is shown in silhouette and is surrounded by geometric patterns. Silhouettes are images of things in their simple shadow form and are usually a dark color. Geometric designs are basic shapes like squares, circles, or triangles. When we see things in nature, we usually call those shapes organic. Do you think it is possible to draw an organic object out of only geometric shapes?
You might be wondering what this vessel is made of. From ancient times till now, humans have used ceramic to make objects. Ceramic is clay that’s been molded and fired into a permanent shape. Clay comes from the earth and is usually made of a special kind of dirt mixed with water. The texture of clay is soft and stretchy, almost like Play-Doh. Ceramic vessels have been used worldwide for centuries and most often utilized for holding liquids.
Close-Looking Questions
A pattern is a design that repeats itself. Sometimes we call that design a motif. Take a close look at the art object above. Which organic motifs do you see? What geometric patterns do you see? How do you imagine the artist got the design on there?
This technique of creating ceramics with silhouettes of animals and geometric patterns, often using reddish-brown paints, became popular in the area of central Iran. Paints were made from natural resources in the surrounding area. The style remained popular for a long time; the motifs of animals in silhouette and geometric forms appear in the vase below, from about 4,500 years later. In this vase, there is a larger variety of geometric motifs, including triangles, cross-hatching, checkerboarding, as well as alternating shapes. The animal shape, a horse, is in its organic form and stands elegantly at the bottom of the vase. Horses were native to the land and were domesticated for human use. Can you think of an animal today that has been domesticated? This includes pets!
Bridge-spouted Painted Vase, central Iran, Tepe Sialk, c. 800–600 BCE, buff ware, cream slip, and reddish-orange painted decoration, 7 7/8 × 7 7/8 × 6 in. (20 × 20 × 15.24 cm), LACMA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Sesnon Jr. (M.47.2.2), Art of the Ancient Near East. https://collections.lacma.org/node/229403
Thinking about Art in Your Environment
Now take a look out your window or around your house. Carefully observe the space. What things stick out to you? What kind of shapes and patterns do you see? What could make a good silhouette? For example, you might see a bird sitting on some phone lines. Or maybe you see a spider-web outside, with dewdrops on it. Think about the shape of its body and the lines it creates with its web.
Prehistoric Painted Pottery Vessel, Central Iran, Cheshmeh Ali - Esmailabad, circa 5000-4500 B.C., Furnishings; Serviceware, Ceramic. 7 × 9 in. (17.78 × 22.86 cm), Gift of Nasli M. Heeramaneck (M.76.174.156), Art of the Middle East: Ancient. https://collections.lacma.org/node/184796
Making Art
Using inspiration from early Mesopotamian animal depictions, you will create your own personal silhouette stencil pattern!
Before you begin, pick a vessel you would like your design to be on. It can be anything from a recycled container to a glass jar. Make sure there's enough space to create a pattern. You will be pasting your design onto the container at the end of this process, but it is important to have it ready and handy at the beginning.
First, think of and choose an animal you are familiar with. It can be a pet, an animal you see in wildlife, at the zoo, in videos or any animal you are interested in. For example: pigeon on the street, your pet dog, lizard on a hike, or even a panda at the zoo.
Then take some time to look around you, it can be outdoors or indoors. While you are observing your environment, pick certain objects that represent your space. For example: outdoors - palm trees, cars, and clouds/ indoors- stereo, favorite drink, or your gaming remote.
Once you have selected your animal and objects, imagine them broken down into basic geometric shapes. One easy way of doing this is imagining them in their shadow form.
On a scratch paper, practice the different ways you can draw your subjects. Remember to stick to easy shapes that can create a silhouette look. Once you have your sketch ideas ready, you can prepare your canvas.
Choose a piece of paper to the color of your liking. Get enough to wrap around the container. This will be your canvas as well as your background color. Using a ruler and pencil, measure out the width and length needed to fit around your container. Cut your paper accordingly. If you have to use more than one piece, attach them with glue or tape.
Next, you are going to create your stencil. Grab a piece of thick paper and decide how big you need to make it. Roughly estimate the size of a square or rectangle to cut. Once cut, you can take your animal sketch and draw it onto the stencil paper. When drawing, make sure you account for the space you will need to add other decorations like a border or frame.
Next, carefully cut out the shape of your animal silhouette. Decide how you want your stencil pattern to be laid out on your canvas paper. This includes how many times you want to repeat the silhouette and what other shapes/patterns you want to include in the background.
Get the marker of your choosing and prepare the stencil by holding it in place. Fill in the stencil space with your marker. Make sure to tightly secure the stencil as you go so the silhouette stays neat. Repeat this step along your canvas to create your pattern! Add your other designs in between or around your animal.
As a finishing touch, add details to your pattern in whichever way you want. Adding a border or frame around your design can be a great detail to incorporate. Border patterns can be created using any geometric shapes.
Once your pattern is ready, you can attach it to your container/vessel. Add an even amount of glue to the backside of your canvas and then wrap it snugly around your container. Let dry.