ArtsNet Minnesota: Identity: James Ensor

Africa, Sierra Leone
Chuck Close
James Ensor
Frank Gehry
Robert Gwathmey
Marsden Hartley
Pepón Osorio
James Rosenquist
Ernest Whiteman

James Ensor
Discussion Questions/Activities
"prejudice" is defined in Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (1994) as: "1. injury or damage resulting from some judgment or action of another in disregard of one's rights. 2. an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics." How were Mariette and Tan the victims of prejudice? Have you ever been a victim of prejudice? In what way? How might prejudice affect an individual's identity?
Look at the photograph of Ensor's sister Mariette and her fiancé Tan. Did Ensor paint them to look as they actually appear? What has Ensor done to make them look similar to the photograph? What has Ensor done to make them look different from the photograph? How do you think James Ensor feels about the people who mocked his sister and her fiancé? How does he convey that feeling? How has he used color to tell us how he feels? How has he used line and brushstroke? Composition?	James Ensor's sister, Mariette, and her fiancé Tan Hée Tseu

ART ACTIVITY Masking Your Feelings In this painting, the masks hide the identity of the wearers and also protect them. Make a series of masks, which express different feelings or moods, or somehow change your identity. Make one to hide behind, one to make people laugh, one to express how you feel on a bad day. DRAMA ACTIVITY Role Playing Improvise a short scene based on this painting. Ask friends or classmates to assume the roles of characters in the painting. Try to take the pose and facial expression of the character you play, then improvise a dialogue among the characters. Try to see the perspective of the character even if you don't agree with his or her position. What might motivate the townspeople to harass Mariette and Tan? What are they afraid of? How would you react to such harassment? What would you say to the townspeople? Switch roles with your classmates and discuss what it felt like to play each role.
LANGUAGE ARTS ACTIVITY Imaginary Dialogue Write an imaginary dialogue between two or more characters from this painting. Examine the figures carefully. What clues has the artist given you about each personality? (Consider what they are wearing, the expression on their faces, and how they are posed.) Describe what type of relationship they have with one another.	James Ensor, Intrigue
Dear Diary Pretend that you are one of the characters in this painting. Write a diary entry for the day this picture was painted. What were you thinking about? What were you talking about? Did you feel comfortable with the other people in the group? Stories about Prejudice Write an essay about prejudice you have seen or experienced in your life and the effect it had on the person discriminated against. These books deal with prejudice: The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston; Bettlecreek, by William Demby; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred Taylor; and the short story Adjó Means Good-Bye, by Carie A. Young. SCIENCE / MATHEMATICS ACTIVITY Survey on Prejudice Do a survey to learn about people's experiences with prejudice. Whom will you survey? How will you decide whom to survey? (It may help to pick a certain age level or stick to three age groups to do a comparative study.) How many people will you survey? What questions will you ask? How will you ask them? For example: Do you think prejudice exists in America today? Have you ever been a victim of prejudice? Chart responses on a graph. Consider outcomes such as: What effect does age, race, wealth, disability, or gender have on people's answers? What percentage of your survey group has felt SOCIAL STUDIES ACTIVITY Racism Throughout History The racism depicted in James Ensor's painting happened almost 100 years ago, yet racism still exists all over the world. Research prominent figures such as Martin Luther King, who have fought against racism. What is being done today to combat racism and prejudice?
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