Diorama Art for Museum Education
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Date
2004-11-21
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Abstract
The project report recognizes the traditional role diorama plays as an effective medium for museum education. The diorama is a potent tool for keeping proper records and documentation of a valuable cultural and historical information. It is a presentation of scenes or images in which three-dimensional figures and objects are displayed in an appropriate natural setting in a cabinet. The study therefore seeks to produce a diorama to popularize it for Ghanaian populace to embrace. It identifies the researcher’s attempt to use non-traditional material for modeling figures to enhance creativity in the preparation of the diorama. The introductory chapter describes the background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives, hypotheses, abbreviations, importance of the study and concludes with the arrangement of the rest of the text. The review of relevant related literature is dealt with in chapter two. It covers the definition, history, composition, importance, use, preparation and examples of diorama. Chapter three identifies and describes the suitable tools and materials for the project. The research methods employed in the project and the systematic process of producing the diorama are discussed under chapter four. Here, the descriptive, experimental and analytical methods of research are identified and described to show how each of them is used in the project. Similarly, methods of production through the preliminary design to finishing and decoration stage are also discussed. The finished work is photographically documented and appreciated on its aesthetic and utilitarian qualities. A guided background notes on the subject of the diorama is provided to enhance its efficiency as an instructional medium.
The results of the project indicates that corn shucks and cobs which have less use in our environment as raw materials can be used as modeling media to produce sculpture. It was also found out that preparing a diorama did not require special tools and materials that are difficult to acquire. The success of the project is that, it was possible to produce a model diorama to portray a past way of life which shows so much creativity and artistic dexterity. Realizing the boundless potential in the use of diorama to tell about things that do not exist anymore or have not been made yet, the following suggestions are put forward for consideration. It is recommended that the diorama making techniques should be adopted at the various levels of the Visual Arts programme, especially for those offerring sculpture and pointing or picture making as a way of soliciting interest in the use of the medium. Secondly, student artists should be encouraged to undertake projects in diorama to unearth scenes of equally historical and cultural importance for the development of museum education in the country. Finally it is recommended that the project report be adopted as a reference material for interested artists, art educators, curators and other researchers.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Art Education, College of Arts and Social Sciences, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, 2004