1. Please get out your APJ and your Abstract Artwork
Please get out your APJ and your Abstract Artwork. If you borrowed supplies please get them out and ready to return.
Make sure your name is on the back of your artwork.
You will need a pencil and some paper for today.

2. Exploring Pre-Columbian/Mesoamerican & Mexican Art
Unit 2

3. Pre-Columbian refers to
The art, architecture, and crafts created by the people from regions in present day North, South, and Central America before the arrival of Columbus.
Pre-Columbian Era 30,000 BC to 1500 CE

4. Mesoamerican
Describes a cultural region in the Americas, which extends roughly from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica.
These civilizations were rapidly brought down by Spanish conquerors.

5. Timeline of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Art
The Mesoamerican cultures are traditionally divided into three time periods:
Pre-classic (c CE)
Classic (c )
Post-classic (c )

6. Pre-classic (c CE)
This era was dominated by the Olmec civilization, which flourished about BCE.
The Olmecs created jade figurines, and carved colossal heads up to 8 feet high. The Central American tradition of constructing huge ceremonial complexes began with the Olmecs.
"Baby Figure," 12th–9th century B.C.
Mexico; Olmec
Mask, 10th–6th century B.C.
Mexico; Olmec
Jadeite
San Lorenzo Colossal Head 1

7. The stone head sculptures of the Olmec civilization of the Gulf Coast of Mexico (1200 BCE - 400 BCE)
Up to 17 have been discovered. They were
Carved of heavy basalt stone and floated down rivers on huge Balsa Rafts.
They were drilled into with reeds and hand held tools.
Originally they were painted with bright colors. No two heads are the same and
They are believed to be the likenesses of
Olmec Rulers.

8. Some heads are smaller just around 4 ft tall, while others are over 9 ft tall and weigh in the tons

9. Classic (c )
This period was dominated by the Maya. Mayans lived in agricultural settlements, practicing their own type of hieroglyphic writing as well as advanced astronomy. They lived in modern day Guatemala.
Mayan art is mainly characterized by petroglyphs, a variety of rock art, some stone sculpture and wood-carving, as well as mural paintings (city of Bonampak c.750 CE).
Make the greatest use of writing. Advanced mathematicians, and astronomers

12. Deformation was aesthetic, religious, and social
Deformation was aesthetic, religious, and social. Told by gods it would make them more noble, handsome, and able to bear burdens

14. Post-classic (c )
This period was dominated first (c ) by the Toltec civilization.
Then came the Mixtecs, whose central Mexican culture. They were active both pre-Aztec and post-Aztec eras.
The Aztec culture of central and southern Mexico produced a variety of visual art, including: brightly colored fresco painting, masks, ceremonial costumes, bracelets and necklaces, as well as a range of clay, stone and wood sculpture. Aztec mosaic art was frequently used to decorate masks as well as architecture.
In Peru, The Incas ruled a large empire that rivaled the greatness of the Aztecs.

15. Incans Children of the sun The great Empire of Peru
Incans Children of the sun The great Empire of Peru. Flourished in 13th to 14th century CE
Incans were great builders, goldsmiths, and had a grand empire. They had many art forms but excelled in gold smiting.
Machu Picchu is an Inca settlement located in the High Andes of Peru in the Urubamba Valley, north of Cuzco.

16. Metalwork
Originated with the early cultures.
Metals they used:
Gold: associated with the sun
Silver: the moon
Tin, copper, and lead: jewelry, death masks, whistles, and ritual objects.
Smiths hammered, shaped, and cast these materials with lost-wax and open molds.

17. We will be working with Metal Tooling also known as metal repousse
We will be working with Metal Tooling also known as metal repousse. This is an art form that uses thin sheets of metal and special tools that press designs into the top and bottom to create a low relief sculptures and images.
Sun god inti

18. Inti and inti-llapa (thunder god or god of weather)
Moon goddess
Sea mother
Earth mother
God of the rainbow

22. Other Cultures who used Metal Tolling, gold smithing
The Mycenaean civilization thrived between 1650 and 1200 BC
Mask of Agamemnon, from shaft grave V, grave circle A, Mycenae, c B.C.E.

28. MAKING INCAN MASKS…
Research the Incas and their art style where metal repousse’ was used.
Find inspirational images that will help you design your own mask.
You will come up with your own God/Deity
Or a mystical animal mask based on Incan influence.
Image should be stylized much like Incan work-not created to be overly realistic faces.
You should consider measurements, extra details, symbolic features, etc.
You will have a name and back story for your god that will be part of your creative process.
Be sure to make sketches and decide on a final product by 9/29/15.

29. Contemporary Mexican artist Kimbal, designed an ancient Mayan suit for the Mayan Bat God of the underworld named Camazotz. 2014

31. Double spout Stirrup(Bridge) pot

32. Two Major Empires of Mesoamerica
The Incans of Peru
The Aztecs of Mesoamerica