As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance. -- Calvin and Hobbes

Thursday, March 18, 2010

#15 Cave Painting; 31 days of rhinos

So easy, a Caveman really did paint this!



#15 Cave Painting (also mixed media)
Media: Textured stone, acrylic

[Fake excerpt "This amazing piece was discovered in a remote cave somewhere in Arizona. People mistakenly believed that the great Merck's rhinoceros or Rhinoceros merckii must have existed in North America at some point. A better explanation is that the ancient people built really good boats and traveled; and this cave painting was a story of their voyage to Africa or Asia or Eastern Europe. How the heck did they get there? Maybe alien visitors aren't so far fetched after all!

It was originally believed that the markings on the bottom of the picture were fire, but it was later determined that this is grass, because rhinos are herbivores, and at the top of the picture, there is a sun and a moon to depict the sun and moon cycles. The two rhinos are not mirrored, (although abstract art could have existed then.) Instead, these are a mated pair of rhinos, the male on the left. They come together and touch horns as a gesture of affection. Possibly the early people of the land believed that 'Rhino Love' was an example from the gods to be honored as part of the cycle of the seasons; Love is, essentially, part of the cycle of life.

It is also believed that this painting has much more than symbolism, like that of others found nearby. It's symmetry reflects a desire for ordered decoration, and almost resembles ancient Greek pottery examples. Could it be that these people were the lost potters of the Macedonia and this drawing is not a prehistoric example after all, but a cool illustration borrowed from the cave drawings, to be used on the water jug of a soujourner? hmmm!"]

Seriously,
[Wiki " Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls and ceilings, and the term is used especially for those dating to prehistoric times. The earliest known European cave paintings date to Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago. The purpose of the paleolithic cave paintings is not known. The evidence suggests that they were not merely decorations of living areas, since the caves in which they have been found do not have signs of ongoing habitation. Also, they are often in areas of caves that are not easily accessed. Some theories hold that they may have been a way of communicating with others, while other theories ascribe them a religious or ceremonial purpose.

So, were cave paintings merely decoration? Was it history being recorded? Or perhaps a vigil by shamans to create a larger hunt for the people? We will never know for certain, but Please Read more because it's really interesting!

See you tomorrow.

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