Labour

The Paleolithic Period

The Paleolithic period in history is distinguished by the discovery of some of the most primitive stone tools by historians. Although stone tools by early man dominated this particular period beginning over two million years ago, there were also tools made using bones and wood. One important characteristic about this period, however, is the evolving of Paleolithic art. As much as humans in this particular period could be considered primitive, they actually formed a basis upon which today’s art developed.

Paleolithic art originated from early man. Archaeological discoveries reveal a number of representational imagery art done by early man during the Paleolithic period. Paintings and drawings of animals and humans grace the walls of caves in archaeological sites in France, Spain, among other places all over the world. The paintings and drawings are done in earth colors using ochre, charcoal, among other materials and techniques such as dabbing, spraying through bones, dotting, and painting with fingers, among others. They are simple representations depicted with lines and shape. Humans for instance are drawn using a stick technique and animal bodies are not drawn to completion, often depicting mainly the easily identifiable features such as the head only, an approach of foreshortening and foreshadowing. Examples include prehistoric drawings and paintings in the caves at Pech Merle and Lascaux dated about 15,000 BCE (Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013). Other than paintings and drawings, there were also carvings and sculptures, among other forms of art. Stone engravings for instance were discovered at Grotte Chauvet in France.

Paleolithic art was useful for a number of reasons. While early researchers such as Paul Bahn have indicated that upper European Paleolithic rock art was simply for art’s sake and had no particular motivation behind it, other researchers have suggested otherwise (Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2013). Use as boundary markers is one suggestion put forward especially as climatic changes brought about increase in competition for territories. Other than this, ritual and cultural traditions have also been put forward as possible motivations. The most advanced explanation however, is the relation to hunting magic, where animals are drawn to supposedly secure control before the animals can be tracked down.

Ceramic Art

Ceramics is a term that refers to art made from a number of ceramic materials such as clay and stone. Forms of ceramics include sculptures, table wares, and figurines among others. While figurines include statutes representational of mythical individuals, tableware includes dishes and other cutlery. Ceramics may be purely aesthetic or in some cases utilitarian as well. It is therefore helpful in spiritual, decorative and meal preparation and consumption functions. Ceramics date over hundreds of years ago with cultures notable for the form of art including the Chinese, Greek, Japanese, and Korean among others.

One example of a ceramic Artist is Mattew Hyleck.Hyleck uses stoneware and porcelain to design pottery that is not just utilitarian but also expressive (Mattew, 2009). Through his artwork, the artist explores nature and tells a story of places, environments and seasons. His designs are mainly finished through glazing and are bisque fired, giving them a unique natural appeal. His works according to him are not just meant for the shelf and as thus he uses them to express his deepest emotions and perceptions. Ceramics therefore presents itself as art that is beyond use, where objects such as pots are not just made for their utilitarian purposes.

References

Ancient History Encyclopedia. (2013). The Meaning of European Upper Paleolithic Rock Art (Article) - Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.ancient.eu/article/787/

Mattew Hyleck. (2009). Matthew Hyleck · Ceramic Artist · Artists Statement. Retrieved from http://www.matthewhyleck.com/statement.html