Oaxacan animals in papier-mache

Arts & Activities, Jan, 2002 by Maria Raimondo

Shepard Barbash's Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees (Chronicle Books, 1993) is an exciting boot filled with photographs of whimsical, imaginative animal sculptures made by folk artists from the southern Mexico city of Oaxaca (pronounced Wa-HAH-ka).

The book, which also contains biographical and technical information about the artists, was used to introduce Oaxacan sculpture and history to my fifth-grade class. During my presentation, I suggested that students think about a favorite animal or a pet that they would like to create in a life-sized sculpture.

Oaxaca is translated as the land of the "guaje," which is a large, broad tree with red pods and vivid orange flowers. I explained to the class that the people who make these sculptures are subsistence farmers who carve these animals when there is not much work to do in the fields. The carvings are made from the wood of the copalillo tree, anal most of the work is done with pocketknives, machetes or kitchen knives.

Carving is usually done by the fathers and sons, sanding is done by the children and grandparents, and painting is done by the women. Bold combinations of colors are transformed into mind-boggling patterns. The carvings consist of cats, coyotes, skeletons, musicians, chickens and mermaids--to name a few. The animals play an important role in daily Mexican life, for survival as well as superstitious beliefs. Many are exported to galleries and home-decoration stores in the United States.

After my presentation, I asked the students where Oaxaca is located, who makes the carvings, what they are carved with, and what are some common sculptural themes.

Their faces lit up when I displayed the pictures from the book. I explained the difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. The students collaborated in describing sculptural materials, such as wood, metal, paper, fabric, glass, ice, plastic, stone, clay and scrap materials, as well as others. I then explained that sculptures could be made either by the subtractive or the additive technique, and we all cited differences between the two.

CREATING OUR OWN SCULPTURES I finally divulged to the anxiously awaiting class that our sculptures would be life-sized Oaxacan-style sculptures of a favorite pet or animal. Our sculptures would be made out of papier-mache, however, making it an additive-style sculpture, which is different from the subtractive techniques used in actual Oaxacan sculpture.

I wrote the grading criteria on the board and had the students explain what they thought each criterion meant. Craftsmanship, originality, pattern and written responses relating to the finished project were the focus. Each criterion was given a point value ranging from 1 to 5. The points were then added and divided into the total number of points possible for a grade. We were now ready to begin sculpting.

The class was introduced to the word "armature," which is a skeleton that is used as a support structure in many sculptures. Our armature consisted of newspaper, because it is cheap and easily manipulated. Two double sheets of newspaper were held horizontally and twisted to form a "rope" that was 24 inches long. This rope was bent so that the ends could meet with one another with a slight overlap. The extended end would be used to attach the head. The ends were then taped together by masking tape.

Another 24-inch "rope" was cut into four 6-inch pieces. These would be attached with masking tape to the body and would represent the animal's legs. Several students asked if their animal could sit upright or stand on its hind legs. I told them that anything to set their work apart from others would be awesome. However, I reminded them that they should solve their structural problems on their own first, before coming to me.

The room was filled with students whose eyes and facial expressions were full of intent, and many appeared to be in a whimsical daze. Everywhere, students were tearing newspaper, busily taping and helping each other.

Amidst all the exuberance, I walked through the room, asking students about their ideas. Rabbits, snakes, monkeys, a platypus and a lion were among the ideas. There were also many cats and dogs of various breeds developing.

Size and proportion were determined by the student, depending on the chosen animal. Tight balls of newspaper secured with masking tape formed the heads. I questioned students about parts other than the body and limbs that could be added, briefly demonstrating that tails, horns, ears, claws, stingers and eyes could be fashioned from the newspaper.

Some works needed additional paper to bulk up the bodies. Throughout this lesson, I reinforced the fact that art could be made from the simplest and most dispensable materials, such as newspaper.

Once the armature was completed, the next step was to add the papier-mache. Two layers were added to the sculptures over a two-week period.

ADDING BRIGHT, CHEERY COLOR Pattern would now be introduced in the lesson, and I showed them the book, The Magic in the Trees, for a second time. Their work was not to look realistic, and the color should be cheery. They were advised to initially paint their animal all one color, using our brightest tempera paints.