AVI1O

Tessellations with Aboriginal

references

1 – a practice translation in your sketchbooks, in colour.

2 – your second, good copy, will be influenced by Aboriginal art

forms. It will be either a reflection or a rotation

(your choice).

Brian Jungen

What is this?

What is this made of?

Really?Does Jordan know this?

What does it mean?

What is going on here?

Brian Jungen

• Brian Jungen is a Canadian artist from British Columbia with Swiss and Dunne-za First Nations ancestry

• Jungen's series Prototypes of New Understanding consists of aboriginal masks assembled and hand-sewn from parts of Nike Air Jordan shoes. “The Nike mask sculptures seemed to articulate a paradoxical relationship between a consumerist artefact and an 'authentic' native artifact:”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jungen

Brian Jungen

Brian Jungen

Norval Morrisseau

Norval MorrisseauMarch 14, 1932 – December 4, 2007 ,also known as Copper Thunderbird, was an Aboriginal Canadian artist. Known as the "Picasso of the North", Morrisseau created works depicting the legends of his people, the cultural and political tensions between native Canadian and European traditions, his existential struggles, and his deep spirituality and mysticism. His style is characterized by thick black outlines and bright colors.

The Artist’s Wife and Daughter

Norval Morrisseau Little Bird

Notice the X-ray look of the bird?

What is different about the way the bird looks?

This is Morrisseau’s way of showing both the Spirit World and the Material word.

Norval Morrisseau

Sacred Medicine Bear", 36"x30", © 1979

How could you use these depictions of animals in a Tessellation?

Morrisseau’s works are highly emotional. How does he create these feelings?

What Elements or Principles might he use to express feelings?

You too will try to express feelings in your artwork.

Norval Morriseau

Norval Morriseau

Astral World

How does this work reflect Aboriginal culture or society?

Norval Morriseau

Sacred Trout

Haida Totem

Haida Totem

Be inspired by aboriginal works in your tessellation.

Like many Aboriginal artworks, you need to tell a story in your artwork.

• You need to make two aboriginal art inspired characters out of the same shape Creating a repeating A-B pattern like a chessboard.

• The two shapes will be a part of a narrative that you create and present with your work.

• When your tessellation is complete, you will be required to complete an artist’s statement. You need to consider your use of the elements of art, your story and explain the inspiration for your piece, making reference to Aboriginal Canadian Art forms.

Appropriation

• In the visual arts, to appropriate means to adopt, borrow, recycle or sample aspects (or the entire form) of man-made visual culture. The artist who uses appropriation may borrow image, sound, objects, forms or styles from art history or [(popular culture)] or other aspects of man made visual culture. Inherent in the process of appropriation is the fact that the new work recontextualizes whatever it borrows to create the new work.