Question 1
Write notes on the following art terms:
- carving;
- basketry;
- pottery;
- printing;
- dyeing.
Observation
A large number of candidates attempted this question. Some candidates mistakenly took collage for mosaic. While, another set erroneously defined dyeing as painting of clothes instead of seeing it as a process of adding colours to the fabric. They were expected to respond to the question thus:
(a) Collage
- It is a French word that means pasting or glueing.
- It is more of abstract or non-figurative art.
- It is used to create designs/pictorial images.
- A picture built up entirely or partly with pieces of paper, cloth photograph and stucked on a suitable surface.
- Materials used may be from scraps (newspaper, waste cloth and other suitable material the artist pleases to use).
- It is a two-dimensional art.
- It encourages the use of imagination or initiative.
- It was invented by Georges Braque and Picasso and later continued by the surrealist in 1920s.
(b) Basketry
- Art of making containers by plaiting and weaving with pliable materials.
- Natural materials used include palm frond, grass stalks, canes, straw, raffia and twigs.
- Methods of production include weaving, plaiting, coiling, knotting and stitching.
- Articles from basketry are used as food containers, trays, hand fans, caps/hats and other house hold items.
- It is the oldest craft in history as it originated from bird nest.
- Tools mostly used are knives, bodkins, shears, scissors, pliers and tapes.
- Articles from basketry include baskets, hats, mats, belts, bags and macrame dresses.
- It is a three- dimensional art.
(c) Pottery
- It is a three- dimensional art.
- Art of producing objects in clay and hardening them by firing.
- The basic material used is clay.
- Methods of production include coiling, slabbing, pinching, throwing and scooping methods.
- Fired pottery items become terracotta after firing.
- Tools and equipment mostly used are beaters, spatula, scooping tools, cutting wires, kick wheel and kiln.
- Items produced include, earthen ware, water jars, cooking pots, other house hold utensils, and office items.
(d) Printing
- Art of making an impression of words and pictures from one surface to the other.
- Equipment for printing include imported machines e.g., Gutenberg 201, Kord and sord machines
- The surfaces can be fabric, paper, papyrus or parchment, rock, wall and any suitable surface.
- Method of production includes, silkscreen printing, relief/lino printing, intaglio, planography and lithography.
- Tools mostly used are ink, lino cutters, rollers, wood block, mesh and squeegee.
- Items produced are, books, banners, posters, fliers, invitation cards and other printable documents.
- It originated from China.
- Origin of printing can as well be traced to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
(e) Dyeing
- Process of adding colours to textile produced.
- Textile products include, fibres, yarns and fabrics.
- Method of production is either by sprinkling or deeping.
- Fabrics to be dyed can be dyeing in plain, tied, waxed or stitched.
- Items produced through dyeing include, batiks cloth, tie-dye/adire.
- Dyed items play good roles in the society for social, religious, political and domestic purposes.
- Materials include dyes, fabric, plastic bowls and rubber gloves.