M4A claims to use art to give more meaning to life. The idea is well-worked up on the website, but lacks examples of the realisation of the idea in practice. This post is an attempt to make good this deficit. Hopefully, this will initiate a set of iterations, which develop both the m4a idea and its realisation.
RR’s start point was her mask-making stall at a street party. Here are a couple of photos.
M4A RR’s REALISATION OF THE IDEA
LOCAL SCHOOL’S USE OF MASKS TO PROMOTE CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH BY HELPING THEM TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES
Article from the Ham and High newspaper. It reports how a local school “develops the theme aimed to help children feel confident to express themselves”, as part of a children’s’ mental health initiative. The common use of brown paper bags and the associated masks is fortuitous with their use by RR. The photo has been included to encourage speculation about the possible relationship between art and mental health.
MH1. Starting Point
M4A claims to use art to give more meaning to life. The idea is well-worked up on the website, but lacks examples of the realisation of the idea in practice. This post is an attempt to make good this deficit. Hopefully, this will initiate a set of iterations, which develop both the m4a idea and its realisation.
RR’s start point was her mask-making stall at a street party. Here are a couple of photos.
MH1 How about a brief description of the stall and how it operated?
RR The stall consisted of a trestle table and chairs with plenty of paints, brushes and example masks. The masks were made using brown paper bags with holes cut out for-eyes and mouth. Children checked out the stall and if interested sat down to make a mask. With hindsight it wasn’t hugely appealing to the older children and I did not get many participants, about 10 children in total.
MH What would the children actually do with the masks, once they had been made? Would they, or would they be expected to, use them in dressing up and maybe acting out stories. It would be good to expand a bit on the role and function of the mask, as well as its creation. See below reference to the ‘performance of wearing the mask’. What other performances might have been facilitated by the masks?
RR In truth the masks were hung out to dry and mostly not collected by the children and I don’t know whether the masks that were collected were used in any context. A longer project could have included a function for the completed masks.
MH Did you overhear/do you remember any comments made by the children while painting, either to one another or to you? Spontaneous comments are always interesting and often useful. Any longer projects planned? Will the street opportunity occur again? If so, what differences would you make?
RR We talked about the pictures they were painting, I don’t remember any specific comments.
Yes we will repeat this probably this summer. I will provide more examples and maybe a prize or other incentive to get the kids interested. I would use different paints as the parents complained that the acrylic paints did not easily wash off the kids clothes.
MH It would be interesting to try to tap in to which aspects of the painting most appealed to the children. For example, the actions of painting itself, being socially involved with other children and yourself, the results of the paintings (the masks), what they could do with the masks, other people’s attitude to the masks. Etc. All different ways of expressing what the painting means to them. Of course, it might well include all of the above.
RR
MH2 Say a few words about the ‘art’ aspects.
RR The children were encouraged to paint whatever they wanted and if they lacked their own ideas cats or other animals were suggested and even outlined for them, especially for the younger children. They added their personal touches. We did not discuss how realistic or how good their work was, it was a journey of discovery. The art was both the painting of the mask and the performance of wearing the mask.
MH I like art being a ‘journey of discovery’. What did they discover – the world, themselves, others art? This is definitely worth exploring further.
RR They discovered a capacity within themselves to create and transform something.
MH Any idea how the ‘capacity’ is connected to the ‘world’. Herein lies a tale, I think. We are all full of unrealised capacities….some more desirable than others. So, there must be some sort of connection between the two, for it to work within a society.
RR Wow that’s a difficult question! but discovering a creative capacity must be valuable for the individual, and then presumably for society if we agree creativity is valuable for society.
MH Society certainly acts as if art is valuable for society, although there is not much agreement as to the how and the why. In the main, that is what we are trying to do, are we not?
RR
MH3 Say a few words about the ‘meaning’ aspects.
RR A discovery process for the children. A brown paper bag can be a work of art and a disguise, or a fancy dress. Make believe, creativity, performance. The opportunity to escape the everyday and take a trip into an alternative experience brings meaning.
MH Is this meaning of the ‘self’ or of the ‘world’ or some combination? How is it a meaningful experience for the child – enjoyment, satisfaction, thrilling, painful etc.?
RR Would categorise it as meaning of the ‘self’, which brought enjoyment and satisfaction. There was physical joy in the use of paint, fat brushes and thick bright colours and the joy of creation – making something out of nothing.
MH What about other types of joy? Some would include – mental, spiritual, ethical, aesthetic and so on. Maybe childlike versions of these? What exactly would they be, I wonder?
RR You’d need to ask a child. They certainly have an aesthetic joy and creative satisfaction.
MH Not sure asking would help much. ‘That’s lovely!’ might express aesthetic joy. ‘Aren’t I clever’ might express creative joy. Doing this with adults is difficult enough. Doing it with children might be biting off more than we can chew.
RR
MH4 Say a few words about the relationship between the ‘art’ and the ‘meaning’ relationship.
RR Art transforms a humble object into something that transcends the everyday an almost magical object.
MH This is both striking and interesting. How to understand this in the case of the masks? The humble/everyday object is the brown paper bag. The almost magical object is the mask. So far so good….. But how to classify a bought mask? And a rainbow? And a puddle for jumping in and splashing about? And railings for doing exercises against, during walks? And opening Xmas crackers? And trying to think about ‘when is a door not a door’?
RR The meaning in art varies from person to person and from the creator to the spectator.
MH Some examples would be helpful here. Not easy in the case of the children, of course. What about between you and the children? Might be a better starting point.
RR Any of these things can be magical to children but to adults with a more jaded view of the world art is one thing that can transcend everyday objects and provide some mystery or magic in our lives.
MH Again, some examples would help. Take the case of one of our joint paintings. Maybe we could both have a go at that. What about this one?
RR This has a Kafkaesque quality for me, the shapes at the centre of the painting are military and foreboding, but the colours are bright and suggest the Mediterranean and seaside.
MH I agree the centre is dark and a bit on the blockhouse-side. But also medieval on some occasions, especially the wall. I agree the other colours are brighter and cheerier., but I see them only as an extension of the building aspects of the central motif (rendering them not foreboding). Where’s the ‘mystery/magic’? Are the walls transcended? In our imagination maybe? Do we see the next wall as transcended in some way? I have to say that I really rate this as a painting. It engages me. I am not sure what it is about, though. Maybe itself.
me way? I have to say that I really rate this as a painting. It engages me. I am not sure what it is about, though. Maybe itself.
RR
