Body Decoration and Design

Stage of schooling

Upper Primary or Lower Secondary

Learning focus

Visual Arts and Media

Elaborations

• VA3 Students create and exhibit artworks that explore common symbols, patterns and designs used by peoples within or from a country in Asia.
• VA4 Students explore and discuss the conventions, meanings and purposes of artworks from Asia.

Focus questions

• How are various body decorations viewed in various cultures?
• What traditions influence contemporary expressions of body art?

Overview

There are varying attitudes to body patterning techniques and practices in different cultures and time periods. This unit provides an opportunity to explore the contexts in which attitudes and values are developed. Students explore tattoos and body designs such as mehndi from three Asian cultures and consider the connection to peoples' ceremonies, traditions and values. They compare the different aesthetic qualities in the designs from each culture. They then develop body designs that reflect their own culture, values, ceremonies and/or interests. These could be presented as works on paper or actual body paintings.

Duration

Depending on the choice of media, this could be a brief unit that could be completed in a number of lessons or a longer unit that will allow students to experiment with designs and approaches to media. The introductory activity and Activity 1 could be completed separately in an hour each or together in a half day. Activity 2 could be completed in two hours with students encouraged to come to class prepared with the images and objects that they collected for homework. Depending on which option is chosen to resolve the artworks, time taken to complete the project will vary. Option 1 may take at least five one-hour sessions, Option 2 may take three to five one-hour sessions and Option 3 would be best completed in one two-hour session. Activity 4 may take an hour for students to prepare their written text, an hour to install the display and about 30 minutes of discussion. It could also be split up over several sessions of varying lengths.

Note to teachers

Using tattoos as a teaching focus

Sensitivity to the diversity of views about tattoos in specific school communities is required when teaching this unit. Teachers might choose to focus only on the mehndi aspect of this unit or to use the work of Chinese-Australian artist, Ah Xian, who uses ceramics shapes such as a head and shoulders bust to explore his hybrid identity. The Inspirations: Art Ideas for Primary and Middle Years Art Cards include an example of his work and there are also many URLs which provide examples of his work, including www.acmi.net.au/2006/artists/ngv/ahxian.html.

Mehndi: definition

Mehndi is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration popular in South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Somaliland.

Resources

There are many materials and media that would be appropriate to use in this unit. As most tattoos/body designs have a strong linear element, media and materials that easily define lines would be good to use. These could be (but are not limited to):

• felt pens and markers of varying thickness
• coloured pencils
• paint applied as a line using a brush
• pen and ink.

Optional

• Non-toxic body paint
• Tracing paper
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Glue
• Self-adhesive A4 sheets of labels
• Large rolls of paper or cardboard
• Digital camera(s)
• Computers with electronic imaging software
• Data projector
• Hattenson, Stacey, 2004, Images of Asia: Symbols, Patterns and Designs, Curriculum Corporation, Melbourne.