Project 1: Zanzibar/Tanzania Triptych Door

1. Read this article on the Doors of Zanzibar.(It might be helpful to read the questions first, so you’ll know what what you’re looking for.)
2. The doors are part of the Swahili culture which is a blend of many cultures.  Which cultures developed these elements of door design?
   1. Square shape -Arab
   2. Arched tops and floral patterns-Indian
   3. Quotes from the Quran-
3. Common symbols are found on the doors.  What are the meanings of these symbols?
   1. Fish- representing the wish for many children
   2. Date trees- representing abundance
   3. Lotus flowers- signifying regeneration
4. Why do the doors have spikes on them?  And, are the spikes useful today? Doors were spiked as a defense against elephants in war, today they’re purely decorative.
5. In the process of building a home, when were the doors made? The door was often the first part of the house built.
6. Take a look at some more Zanzibar doors.  Post three here that you particularly like the look of even if it is just a motif from part of a door. (Drag and Drop here on your blog.)
   
7. As you looked at the doors, did you notice that they use post-and-lintel archway?  Copy and paste here the best image you can find that illustrates the look of  a post-and-lintel arch.
   
8. In the research you’ve done so far, you’ve been looking at the physical, literal representation of doors.  But door also have symbolic meaning too. Choose one of the links below and find 5 symbolic meanings for doors.  Write your list here.
   1. Protection
   2. Transition
   3. Curiosity
   4. Imagination
   5. Afterlife
9. Doors also have a religious meaning as a passageway to the spiritual.  Doors are commonly used in Eastern Christianity in the form of triptychs (say “trip ticks”.) From the triptych link, find, copy and paste here:
   1. A picture of a triptych with an arched (curved) top
   2. A triptych with a pointed top
   3. A triptych with a top that is neither arched or pointed

 

Test / Play: For this project you are going to design a triptych like door based on the research you’ve done.  For this part of the artist process you need to be willing to explore the possibilities of door design.  Will you pull ideas from the doors you’ve from Zanzibar?  Will you change the top to look like a triptych?  OR, will you create a door that is just from your imagination.  Just be sure to include the posts-and-lintel so it will look like a functioning door. So play with your ideas. Try out a few.  Have fun with designing your door.

 

Materials you will need:

Ruler

Pencil

Black pen

Graph paper  (Use the blue lines to insure your lines are straight.)

Circle template for the arch (optional)

White cardstock paper

Xacto Knife

Cutting board

Colored Construction paper

Aluminum Tape

Glue Stick

 

Part 1 : The 1/2 Door Drawing 1.Fold graph paper in half.

2. Draw door with the total height of 9 inches. The door part is about 6 inches while the archway is about 3 inches. If you want a perfectly curved arch, ask for a circle template.If you want another shape, that’s ok too. Just draw it.

3.You only need to draw/design half the door. We are going to duplicate the other half of the door in Photoshop. Let Photoshop do the work for you! Have your drawing approved before you begin PART 2

Design/Compose – Scan and paint PART 2: WORKING IN PHOTOSHOP 4. Scan your ½ door into the computer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdmiVqAVFAs

5. Scan into computer to for PS duplication. Tutorial Right click image layer>duplicate layer(this is a safety precaution) Select Rectangular Marquee Tool Select only drawn part of door Right click>Layer via cut Edit>Transform>Flip Horizontal Use Move tool to align door halves

6. Use the Paint Bucket and the Gradient Tool to paint your door.  YOU MAY ONLY USE  WHITE, BLACK, SHADES OF GRAY, GRAYSCALE GRADIENT and HALFTONE DOTS(Do you need to paint the whole door or just ½ of it.? Let the computer work for you.)

7. Print your completed door onto CARDSTOCK paper.

PART 3: “HANGING” YOUR DOOR 8. Using an x-acto knife AND CUTTING BOARD, cut the doors open so that they can open and close. 9. Cut away the blank, white paper. 10. Glue your cut out door to a sheet of colored construction paper. 11. Ask for a piece of aluminum tape. 12. Adhere the tape inside the door. 13. On the tape “carve” a symbol for yourself. Use a sharp pencil or a ballpoint pen. 14. Add a design fills the negative space around the aluminum tape all the way to the door frame. Optional: Decorate/ design the negative space outside the door edge that is the cons

 

Evaluation/Critique

 

What is an Artist Statement? An artist’s statement (or artist statement) is an artist’s written description of their work. The brief verbal representation is for, and in support of, his or her own work to give the viewer understanding.

 

Write an Artist Statement about your piece of work. Use the following questions to help draft your artist’s statement.

• Why did you make this art?
• What inspired you to make it?
• What does your door signify or represent?
• What is unique or special about your door artwork?
• What does this door artwork mean to you?
• How should the viewer perceive your artwork?

 

TIP: Don’t forget to use your green Elements of Art handout as a resource for speaking about art.

 

Example statement:

This door is representative of my love for the ocean. I have always felt a pull toward all things sea-related. I chose the post and lintel to be that of classic wood pattern as I am a land dwelling creature. The bubbles along the posts and along the top of the archway are symbolic of the crashing of waves on the shore. The texture of the door is made up of fish scales. I chose that to fill the space as fish are a symbol of luck, creativity and constant change. This artwork is a reminder to me of my creativity and constant change.

 

Pattern, texture, shape, space, variety.