Virtual Camp Carlos: Re-Creating the Surface

Every culture has its own distinctive set of symbols, motifs, and patterns that are applied to the surfaces of various forms. The jaguar is a prominent Meso-American motif embroidered on textiles and etched into pottery. Figural and animal motifs and geometric patterns are found on the painted surfaces of Greek black- and red-figure pottery as well as on the elaborately painted surfaces of Egyptian coffins. With teaching artist Ana Vizurraga, students will examine work from the Carlos Museum's collections and discuss the design elements and techniques that craftspeople throughout history have used to embellish surfaces. In half-day sessions over the course of a week (June 14-18), students will create their own black- and red-figure paintings on two-dimensional terracotta forms, a painted screen inspired by a rare West African Baltu screen, and miniature versions of an Egyptian coffin, using watercolored paper panels that fold into a lidded box.