Activity
Create an Abstract Dreamscape
In this activity, you will create an art piece inspired by the work of Bernice Bing.
Design your own cloak that reflects your identity, influences, and ideals. What might your cloak reveal? What might still be “hidden” by it? How might it feel to wear it?
Click through to see the steps for making your own mini-cloak.
Introduction:
Cloaks offer the wearer protection from the weather and can also be used to hide or cover up one’s identity (some are even “invisibility cloaks!”). But when worn as a form of self-expression, how might a cloak reveal something about the wearer?
During the 1970s, artist Carlos Villa created a series of cloaks and coats that reflect his exploration of his identity as a Filipino American. These artworks evoke non-Western ceremonial garments, such as Hawai’ian royal capelets and Samoan tapa cloths, as well as the Catholic robes he wore as an altar boy. The repeating spiral pattern holds personal significance for Villa, as it suggested circular movement and action, connecting to his work as a community organizer.
Follow the directions below to shape, color, and decorate your own mini-cloak as you wish!
Materials:
Procedure:
Source:
“A Circular Kind of Movement: A Conversation About the Works of Carlos Villa”: Mary Valledor & Sherwin Rio. Friends Indeed. February 5, 2021. https://friendsindeed.art/news_events/a-circular-kind-of-movement.