Multicultural Art Lessons: The Art of Paper Cutting
© Colleen Madonna Williams
Discuss folk art with your class. Explain that many cultures have unique artforms that have been handed down from generation to generation. Ask students what type of folk art their ancestors engaged in. Do they own handmade quilts? Do they have furniture made by relatives? Do they have jewelry that was made by a family member? Paintings? etc...
Find several examples of wycinanki paper cuttings, using the internet. Display them to your class. Discuss paper dolls, paper snowflakes, and paper chains. What do these have in common with wycinanki?
Sample Production Lesson Polish papercuts were used to decorate the homes of the artists who created them. The Chinese created "window flowers" which were used as home decorations. Both "window flowers" and wycinanki were used as decorations on furniture, windows and walls. Wycinanki often use two pieces of paper. These pieces are folded over one another and cut, so that the artist may form a symmetrical pattern. Some Polish designs are asymmetrical. Asymmetrical or symmetrical,almost all wycinanki designs will featureon smaller motifs that are layered on top of a base pattern. Flowers, birds, and trees are common subjects used in these decorations. A black base may be used to set off brighter colors used in the motif.
Materials
Colored papers Scissors Pencils Cardboard or tagboard for mounting design Glue Sticks
Presentation: Tree of Life
( Prior to your production lesson, you should engage your class in the following activities. Find an example of a "Leluje" design. We will refer to this as a "tree of life" design. There are several at: http://www.dsha.k12.wi.us/clarice/wyci.h... Display these to your students. Have students use the internet to research the history of Polish Paper Cutting, or wycinanki.
As a class, choose one of your examples and aesthetically scan it. ) Students often need to practice this procedure a few times, before they "get it." Please have patience and plenty of paper on hand! Give students several different colored papers for their designs. As a class, fold the paper in half once. Students should now either sketch out or cut freehand the basic design for the tree of life. When this is cut out, students should begin adding birds, which are also cut from folded paper, so that all of the elements are symmetrical. Show the child to plan each shape to be placed on top of the basic blossom so that it is successively smaller, in order that all of the colors may show.
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