Week 7: Art as a Culture

1: Functions of Early Art:

a. What were the cave artists trying to say?

I believe the artist where trying to convey every day life, what they saw around them, what truly mattered to them. The animals could have been herds of animals that they needed for survival or that served a specific spiritual symbolism to their people.

b. Why do you think that there were so many animals and not as many people in the paintings?

                  If the wall painting where instructions on what animals where needed to survive, then it would make sense to depict animals more than humans. Furthermore if these where some kind of record keeping then a depiction of “man” might of not been needed.

c. What can the paintings tell us about other aspects of the life of cave dwellers or Paleolithic people?

                  The paintings let us know that Paleolithic people where more than savage people running around trying to only survive. There is a strong undertone of understanding of their environment and the need to make some kind of record.

d. What difficulties did these early humans navigate in order to paint these pictures?

                  The painting of caves is never ideal, the walls aren’t flat like a canvas nor is there adequate lighting. Early humans had to go out of their way to light their workplace, furthermore the paintings are spread over the celling of the cave, again this is not an ideal location as the cave ceiling might of not been easily at an arms reach.

e. Speculate as to three (3) possible functions of this art to early humans

·       It could of provided instructions to future people of the animals that lived in the areas.

·       It could have been a way of passing down stories or sharing stories with more than the immediate people group that they lived with.

·       The paintings could have been a tribute to the spirit world, maybe a way of immortalizing and idea.

2: Commonalities in Function:

            I think that a predominant commonality in the art from the Lascaux Caves and modern art is the desire of the artist to capture moments that have some kind of significance to them.  Whether it is an internal emotion that the artist wishes to convey as a painting or the images immortalized on a cave wall, these images are moments in the artist mind that need to be shared that need to be expressed.

3. Introduce Us to Your Favorite Art:

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaCjPdtDBxo

Joe Bonamassa – Ballad of John Henry

·      For blues guitar and “blues” style music I believe there is always a story trying to be told. In the past this form of music was used to convey extream emotion, something that maybe jazz or easy listening couldn’t do for the musicians.

·      The blues, thankfully, is no longer limited to one certain people group or social class, presently this style of music can be enjoyed by people of all creed and age. Although one very important aspect of the blues is the chord progression used and the shuffle like rhythmic feel of the music. This aspect of the music cannot be omitted; it is what gives the blues its specific audial characteristic.

·      I don’t really see any detrimental affects of this type of music, although because of my great like for it my opinion is somewhat biased. It is a form of story telling much like old country songs or short stories. This is just another way of conveying ideas in hopes of keeping them alive for as long as possible.