Thursday, April 12, 2018

(Neolithic shelter painting, artist(s) unknown) (4000 to 2000 bc). People and Animals [rock painting]. Cogul, Lérida, Spain.

The rock-shelter painting People and Animals is a work of objective abstraction. Figures, mostly women, are severely reduced to angled and curved lines and planar geometric shapes. The waist-hip ratio of several of the figures emphasizes their womanhood, as does the nature of the strokes that create their bodies and clothes. They gesture and interact with each other; a consistently joyful sense of vitality is inherent in each figure and as a group. It is possible they are celebrating a successful hunt; at their feet lies the figure of a stag.

One of the defining characteristics of prehistoric art is it is largely unconcerned with describing time. This began to change during the Neolithic age, however it is unclear if the animal and human figures are meant to be related. The image is planar; there is no attempt at developing space, other than planar, in fact this work is so abstract that a field/ground relationship applies. The impression of fluid motion, maybe dancing, is arranged on a compromised ground plane, creating a distinct asymmetric feel. It creates a repetitive effect; the uniform formal formatting positions this sense of motion forward as the subject matter, creating what is arguably a conceptual rather than perceptual work of art.

From a design perspective, the artist has created a fluid and harmonious work based on curved, vertical lines and organic shapes with a hollowed-out texturing effect towards their centers. The accompanying image is a detail of a larger series of similar renderings depicting a wider variety of subjects and activities than that typical of Paleolithic art: Men, running, hunting, animals and insects. The culture responsible for this work clearly valued communal effort and understood its impact on the overall well-being of its people. Earthworking, food gathering and child care are also rendered. The importance of effort and hard work is a cultural value that connects this ancient culture with modern Americans.



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