Art of the Northwest Indians

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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A work of art can sometimes be quite overwhelming.

Depending on the complexity with which the artist designed the work, a lot can be going on. One of the strategies as art viewers is to break those more complex designs into smaller pieces we recognize.

You can look for motifs (pronounced moh-teefs) to understand and appreciate the work the artist has composed. A motif is a simple visual element that you see repeated, either multiple times in the same work or over several works.

For example, if you look at a series of college football mascot logos, certain patterns will emerge. As you look at these Mean Mascot Logos from NCAA Division I Universities, try to identify and write down at least three aspects of these images you see repeated in other logos on the same page.

Then, consider the following questions.

• Why did these sports teams use some of the same elements?
• As a viewer of those images, what do those motifs or elements communicate to you?
• Which of those motifs or elements choices seem tougher or softer? What makes you think so?

You may have found several possible motifs in those sports logos, including sharp teeth, angry-looking animals, mascots facing almost always to the right, facial hair on the human mascots, or bold and even jarring color combinations.

In the Got It? section, apply the concept of motif to the art of the Northwest Indian tribes.