The Culture of Art
Functions of Early Art:
1: The artist was most likely trying to say they took the time and patience to draw out these beasts; they wanted them to be remembered. Kind of like how nowadays we put our children's report cards or their drawings up there too.
2: I believe the artists drew animals, not people because
humans interacted with humans. They were understood and worked together in
unison. Animals were beasts that took a lot of force or effort to take down,
and once they did, I am sure it was something special for them and special
enough to put on the walls of their cave homes.
3: Paleolithic people are telling stories here on the walls. And even
fantasy with the "Man bird" drawings. It tells us that they
interacted with many animals and even saw animals fighting or killing other
animals.
4: oh my gosh, I was thinking about the whole duration of this interactive
map. The maze and movements of these cave corridors, steeps, or steps to get
higher or lower than other cave expansions are extensive. With just torches, I
imagine, it must have been terrifying or maybe just terrifying to us. The human
species is incredibly adaptive, so this cave must have been a luxury and
sanctuary from the elements.
5: a way to remember. A data collector of some sort, and some type of
collection of trumpets.
Commonalities in Function:
- Early man and
modern art pieces tell something—a story, a form of emotion, or a time
period. The drawings in the Lascaux Cave are similar to Egyptian
hieroglyphs in that they also tell a story and even track language or
great pharos and even the horrible stuff too, like the many enslaved Egyptians
that endured terrible conditions for the time. Art can also inspire
individuals as well. Remembering or recalling certain events that you hold
dear to yourself will inspire you to keep going or create newer ideas or
approaches to that same central topic of the painting.
Introduce Us to Your Favorite Art:
- I enjoy art a great deal. I do not have a particularly favorite art form from another, but I appreciate many. After researching more about specific art forms, I landed on one that interests me: Theater. I have always admired theater actors or Broadway performers because it must take much confidence or drive to perform LIVE in front of an audience. From what I can understand. The Theater was created to solve "social dilemmas."
- The Theater
started in roughly 384 BCE by combining comedy, humor, and death. Fast
forward to Shakespeare combining both comedy and tragedy as a genre. That
is the surprising and exciting aspect of Theater, which is always
improving.
- Theater starts
in Greece but arrives in other parts of the world close by, and they put
their twist on it. Religion, death, silent movies, kabuki, comedy plays,
and all these emotions and situations are simulated to bring these people
into a space to experience something special.
- The only
detrimental effects I could find were early in England Theater when Puritans
were afraid of Theater being blaspheming, and it took a big hit with
Theater moving forward in the period of history for England.
- Conclusion: Theater is constantly changing and adapting; it
is never complete, much like art. That is the beauty of Theater; it is
always finding ways to improve or find new ways to gain an audience's
attention.
Hi Andrew!
ReplyDeleteI also believed that the paintings on the cave walls could have been used to collect data (catalogue the animals within their area) and find a way to remember (protect their culture through storytelling). I would have liked if you had expanded on your third explanation for the paintings; collection of trumpets. I liked how you stated that art can be used as a way to inspire people. Art, throughout all periods of our history, could be used as a catalyst for change and influence others. This can be further demonstrated in how Theater was created with the intent of solving social dilemmas, as you stated. Good post!
Hey Andrew! I agree with what you said about how the cave paintings most likely were used to tell stories, maybe about their hunting experiences or just spiritual experiences. I like your interesting approach at saying that they painted these "beasts" since they were so hard to take down. I said something a little different about how these animals were a significant factor in their lives so they used the paintings as records or maybe for educational purposes. I like how you explained how the theatre culture is always changing and evolving just as many other art forms as well. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteSection 1:
ReplyDeleteRe: Message... Let's step back a second and consider this from the perspective of early humans. Survival was their primary goal... finding food, maintaining shelter, protecting their family/community from threats, and competing for resources against other organisms. This practice of painting animals on the wall was difficult and dangerous. It wasn't a casual activity. It required time, planning, supplies, and no small amount of daring to access those deep dark caves. There must have been a very *real* benefit to balance the costs of this activity. "Being remembered" doesn't seem like a concrete received benefit.
Perhaps we need to figure out *who* was the target of their message? Themselves? Future generations of this population? Other human groups? It is easier to figure out what they are saying when you figure out who they are talking to.
Re: Animals... On the right track here. They already knew what humans looked like! It was the animals that would look different in different areas at different times of the year. Consider the fact that hunter gather populations were highly mobile. It is possible that these paintings were intended to provide information or when the population returned to the site later. Would it be important to understand themselves (i.e., the people)? Or understand the animals that are available in the area?
Re: Aspects of culture... Yes, but can we dig a bit deeper. It tells us that they were innovative in their development of pigments and controlling fire to light their way in the caves. They would have had to be fairly skilled spelunkers to navigate those caves safely, without getting lost. It also tells that they were hunters and hunted cooperatively, in addition to the kind of animals they hunted. It tells us they had what we would consider "leisure time" to allow for this process of creating paints, tools and the images themselves. And often we can learn based upon what is *missing*, not just what is there. There are no berries, no mushrooms, no birds, no fish and no eggs, things that would be part of the "gathering" process. So who is painting this pictures, men or women? Does that tell us anything about the gender roles of this culture?
Re: Difficulties... I had a similar reaction! But in addition to accessing the caves safely and lighting their way, they also had to create pigments for paints and tools for painting. This indicates a high degree of innovation and creativity.
Re: Functions... "a way to remember. A data collector of some sort, and some type of collection of trumpets"
So I'm going to re-interpret this:
1. Recording events
2. Record keeping.
3. I don't understand the last one. What was that about "trumpets"?
I don't disagree with your points here (trumpets aside) but I would have liked you to expand and explain your answers.
Section 2: Very good discussion here. I agree.
Section 3: Great video!
Good intro to this culture and I appreciate your discussion of benefits and detriments (though the detriment you listed isn't caused by the theater itself but by a reaction to it.) Theater has been used for propaganda purposes (such as in the Cultural Revolution in China by the government to control the people... North Korea does this as well).
You don't really discuss a response to the second prompt here regarding the specific culture of this art. Do they have their own vocabulary, behaviors, traditions that they follow that are unique to them as actors, directors and theater workers?
Great blog post! I enjoyed reading your insights into the functions of early art and your introduction to your favorite art form, theater.
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of the cave paintings in the Lascaux Cave is thought-provoking. The idea that the artists wanted to be remembered and preserved their drawings, similar to how we cherish our children's creations, adds a personal touch to their intentions. Your interpretation of why animals were depicted instead of humans, highlighting the significance of animals in their lives and the effort required to hunt them, provides an interesting perspective.
The notion that the cave paintings tell stories and capture various interactions between animals is fascinating. It gives us glimpses into the lives and observations of Paleolithic people, showcasing their experiences and even hinting at elements of fantasy with the "Man bird" drawings.
Your reflection on the challenging and potentially terrifying nature of exploring the cave, especially with only torches for light, emphasizes the adaptability and resourcefulness of the human species. The cave must have provided them with a sanctuary from the elements and a sense of luxury.
The connection you draw between art's function as a way to remember and as a form of data collection is intriguing. It highlights the role of art in preserving and recording information, much like Egyptian hieroglyphs and other historical artworks.
In your discussion on commonalities in the function of early and modern art, you aptly describe how art can tell stories, convey emotions, and inspire individuals. It serves as a medium for recalling significant events and generating new ideas.
Your introduction to theater as your favorite art form is engaging. The way you describe its evolution over time, combining comedy, tragedy, and various themes, showcases its ability to address social dilemmas. The notion that theater is constantly changing and finding ways to captivate audiences highlights its dynamic and ever-improving nature.
Overall, your blog post provides insightful observations on the functions of early art and offers an intriguing introduction to the world of theater.