1. Functions of Early Art:
a. The cave artists of the Lascaux caves could have created their works for many reasons. Thankfully for us, they are a lasting record of a long-ago time period. It gives modern researchers a window into life from thousands of years ago. It is challenging to pinpoint the motive behind the artists' renderings. They could have been created for magical or spiritual purposes. Because there are abundant depictions of animals, the paintings and engravings could have been a way to appease the animal spirits, to tell a story or even to be a record that can be passed down to future generations.
b. I believe that there were so many paintings of animals because in one way or another animals were a central part of these people's lives. Their livelihood and survival was dependent on the meat that was acquired through hunting. The culture could have held animals up to a higher plane or there could have been a taboo in regards to painting people. (Considering there was just a single human figure in the cave.)
c. These paintings can tell us that the population spent time in the area of the caves. They could have been a dwelling and protection from the elements, especially during winter. They also demonstrate the symbolic thought that the paleolithic people possessed.
d. Because of the location of the caves, many of them would have been difficult to reach or even to move in and out of smoothly. They are thought to have multiple entrances which would give them better access considering many areas of the cave were 100 meters above the valley floor.
e. Like I stated above, a function of this form of art could have been spiritual in nature. If the culture revered the animals that it painted, this could be a way of honoring them. This artwork could also be decorative in nature. The caves could have been the location for certain religious rituals and these paintings and engravings could have served as decoration for or even been part of the rituals. A third possibility could be documentation of certain aspects of the people's lives. This documentation could include important hunts, ceremonies or even stories that are important within the culture.
2. Commonalities in Function:
For the individual in modern times, art can play many roles. It can serve as a source of education (studying historical pieces), recording of historical record (such as in photography), serve a religious or spiritual need and it can give pleasure to both the viewer and the creator of the piece. All of these functions could possibly be applied to the art from Lascaux Caves. The variety of depictions that were created in the cave demonstrates that there could be a multitude of functions that it served over time.
3. Favorite Art
d. Because of the location of the caves, many of them would have been difficult to reach or even to move in and out of smoothly. They are thought to have multiple entrances which would give them better access considering many areas of the cave were 100 meters above the valley floor.
e. Like I stated above, a function of this form of art could have been spiritual in nature. If the culture revered the animals that it painted, this could be a way of honoring them. This artwork could also be decorative in nature. The caves could have been the location for certain religious rituals and these paintings and engravings could have served as decoration for or even been part of the rituals. A third possibility could be documentation of certain aspects of the people's lives. This documentation could include important hunts, ceremonies or even stories that are important within the culture.
2. Commonalities in Function:
For the individual in modern times, art can play many roles. It can serve as a source of education (studying historical pieces), recording of historical record (such as in photography), serve a religious or spiritual need and it can give pleasure to both the viewer and the creator of the piece. All of these functions could possibly be applied to the art from Lascaux Caves. The variety of depictions that were created in the cave demonstrates that there could be a multitude of functions that it served over time.
3. Favorite Art
My favorite art form: Photography
a. Photography can serve many functions. One of the most popular is to record a moment in time to preserve for enjoying later or to pass down to younger generations. It is a way of capturing something that the person wants to remember.
b. There is a culture that surrounds the art of photography. There are certain preferences for cameras, with most professionals preferring Canon or Nikon brands. There are vocabulary words that only a photographer would understand, mostly referring to pieces of equipment or ways to utilize photography software such as Photoshop. A lot of the culture involves the type and style of the equipment, such as bags, filters, lenses and such. Then there are also different cultures that are related to the different photo-hosting websites.
c. This art form benefits society by creating a historical record not just for private individuals but for society in general. It can be detrimental though when the photographer does not just capture what is going on, but interferes with it and influences it in a negative way. An example of this would be paparazzi who go to extreme lengths to capture a shot of a celebrity.
I like your art form of Photography and what a cool picture to show case it! Isn't it spectacular that they would stay down in those caves, small tunnels, no light, no air and draw! I also agree that animals were a central part of their lives and important to their existence providing food!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post. I learned a few new things from this post. I had not thought about the religious aspect of the cave paintings. I definitely hadn’t considered them to be spiritual in nature. These were good points that you brought up in the ‘functions’ section of your post. I really had not considered that the animals were painted because Paleolithic people honoring them. I simply thought that the animals were a necessity for survival and the paintings to show that. You also stated that “The caves could have been the location for certain religious rituals”, and I found this interesting. I also liked your photography post. The picture was very telling. Pictures can have positive and negative aspects. As you stated the paparazzi have taken photography to a whole new level. Yet the positive aspect is the ability to share a moment for many generations to come.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Thorough and very well written. Your discussion on function was well argued, though I was wondering what you saw in the images which suggested a spiritual function?
ReplyDeleteGood analysis on commonalities. Thanks for the link on photography... I'm a bit of a photobug my self. You mention the "tools" and the language of the photography world. Does the "culture" extend to behavior and "costumes"?
I thought that it was very interesting that you suggested that there was a spiritual connection to the drawings and that the drawings may have been a way to honor the animals. I wouldn't have considered that at all. I love that you used photography as your art form. I love photography, I've taken many photography classes and hope that one day I can be as great as some others out there.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed it i as well thought that in time that they have progressed in there art form and did what they had to do and to survie each year. i liked your form of art as well, photograph has always been something that i liked but i could never get thoes right picture moments. its rather hard i beleive. but it defintley takes alot of time.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog I thought it was interesting that you though that the painting could have represented magical or spiritual purposes. I do agree with you when you stated that animals seemed to be the center of these people's lives and that's why I think they only painted the animals and not themselves. I thought that paintings were very interesting. I also think that the people used the caves in order to protect themselves from the elements. I like that you picked photography as your favorite form of art and I really liked the pictures that you chose. I love how you can look through an old photo album and be right back in the time when you took the picture. I really enjoyed reading your post.
ReplyDelete~Heather L. Gault
"The culture could have held animals up to a higher plane or there could have been a taboo in regards to painting people"
ReplyDeleteI would like to explore the idea that painting people was taboo. It makes me think of behavorial patterns of chimpanzees who feel threatened at the site of another chimps encroaching upon their resources and social structure. Maybe other groups of humans felt the same and felt it uneccessary.