The History of Art
par Aaron Hernandez
1. 1 The Origins of Art
1.1. Basically there is this hierarchy of artists and art. Those that paint landscapes are higher than those that paint fruits, flowers and shells. The man that imitates God by painting humans is more outstanding than all. Then it moves on to painting movement, then to painting more than one human moving, and finally the tales of man.
1.2. "And as the human figure is God’s most perfect work on earth, it is certainly the case that the artist who imitates God by painting human figures, is more outstanding by far than all the others." (Burt, 9)
1.3. How Culture is Studied: Napoleon Chagnon & the Yanomamo https://youtu.be/72oSUzZT2sU
2. 2 Classical Art
2.1. This chapter introduces German philosopher Georg W. F. Hegel and his theories of artistic progress. It also talked about how the British took pieces of the Parthenon to display in their museum instead of leaving the statues in Greece where they belong.
2.2. “The Parthenon Marbles, being the greatest body of original sculpture in existence, and unique monuments of the first maturity, are primarily works of art” (Burt, 22)
2.3. “spirit of the age” ( zeitgeist ) (Burt, 29)
3. 3 Oriental Art
3.1. Orientalism is introduced as how the Orient opposites Europe and the West and talks about how Asian Art is known but according to Islam, India, and China ignore it.
3.2. "Art reflected the spirit of the culture, so Chinese and Indian art compared unfavorably with that of Europe." (Burt, 39)
3.3. "European ignorance of Asian artistic values, at first inevitable but later willful and prejudiced, reflected a sense of cultural superiority appropriate to the building of commercial and political empires" (Burt, 50) This shows that the ignorance of one's culture is decided upon through Superiority.
3.4. Orientalism Explained https://youtu.be/7l5CXW2qEfY
4. 4 Primitive Art
4.1. This chapter talks about how primitive art, or indigenous and tribal art, was not just used as art but that it had a purpose. For ceremonies and such. This art is not painting art but rather made from wood, stone, and natural supplies. Also that primitive art was not inferior to European art but equal instead.
4.2. arranging artefacts from around the world in sequence according to what he named “typology.” (Burt, 56)
4.3. "An example of Pitt-Rivers's typology, showing the supposed evolution of Australian and Pacific Islands weapons from a stick." (Burt, 57)
4.4. Cannibal Tours: https://youtu.be/KUQ_8wl93HM
5. 5 Prehistoric Art
5.1. This chapter was really interesting. It talked about that how digging in different places was able to tell that there were other times before the use of metals like the stone, bronze, and iron ages. Then it moves on to the prehistoric caves and myths. And eventually to the sculptures of women. Men created them as "erotic symbols of fertility." (Burt, 74). Also, the calenders had different meanings or origins form different places.
5.2. "In contrast to earlier stereotypes of Stone Age life being hard, miserable, and reliant on hunting magic, it even came to be called “the original affluent society.” (Burt, 73) this talks about how hunter gatherers lived a harsh life. I believe they didn't.
5.2.1. "Was living the life of a hunter-gatherer harder than what it is today?" What is the difference between the society we live in today and the life of a hunter-gatherer?" "Would you live in a hunter-gatherer society?" -Professor Moises Plascencia. Some of the best questions I still think about.
5.3. "Herding and farming favored men as the focus of community relations under a seasonal regime based on a solar cosmology" (Burt, 76)
5.4. "American Christian creationists continue to insist that the truth about human origins lies in the Bible, some Native Americans maintain that their original ancestors descended from the sky or emerged from the ground." This talks about the difference in religion and belief. (Burt, 80)
6. 6 Form
6.1. In this chapter, it talks about the cross-cultural perspective of form. Clive Bell, a British exponent of formalism, mentioned that certain form stir put aesthetic emotions. Later on, the Native people of the Northwest Coast were introduced. Their art was shown to be men different from women's. The art and artifacts of the Northwest Coast represented split representation. A similarity is the Māori men's facial tattoos. Meaning that the tattoos represent their roles in a social hierarchy. Later the Kwakiutl calender was maked as it being divided into two seasons, summer and winter. In the end, it was mentioned that the Northwest Coat culture represented "latent cultural-cognitive tensions" (Burt, 94).
6.1.1. forms constrained but flexible; stable at the center but mobile at the margins; vertical and horizontal axes fixed at the central point. (Burt,94)
6.2. Potlactches-a ceremonial feast (or potluck/fetival)
6.3. “Art transports us from the world of man’s activity to a world of aesthetic exaltation” (Bell 1913). (Burt, 86.)
6.4. Split representation-two profiles joined at the head (Burt, 91)
6.5. Formalism-identify principles of composition, such as organic unity among elements, balanced sense of symmetry, and recurring shapes. (slide 5)
6.5.1. form, color, and texture
6.6. Inside the house was the middle world. The roof was the upper world. the ground below was the underworld. The walls were the edges of the world. (Burt, 94)
6.6.1. A pole mounted on the central axis of the house, toward the back, linked the three worlds in the cannibal-spirit ritual performances, representing the shamanistic travel between them. (Burt,94)
6.6.2. the central axis from front to back of the house linked the sea out in front of the house, the inhabited shore area, and the forest behind the house, in a horizontal three-part structure complementing the vertical one. (Burt, 94)
6.6.2.1. The shape of the world was a square, like the house and other artefacts of a people who worked with planks of wood. (Burt,94)
6.6.3. The central point of these axes, where the horizontal and vertical lines crossed, was the point of power and prestige, the residence of the highest-ranking person of the village or in the house, and the focus of ritual sanctity in performance, as with the cannibal pole. (Burt,94)
7. 7. Meaning
7.1. This chapter talks about the concepts of denotation and connotation and how it relates to the decoding of symbolic images. After that it talks about heraldry in Europe. An example of heraldry is the coat of arms in British heraldry. Heraldry is shown to have animals representing a hierarchy of powers. The Northwest Coast is mentions to have any images and ofr them to be "Characterized by their symbols. (Burt. 104)" Next it talks about about the reality of the hidden meaning behind the iconography and how the images could be translated into words, why use artifacts. Lastly, it talks about how Papua New Guinea, the rituals held used many images and artifacts and what the meaning behind them were.
7.2. Heraldry: "the tradition of graphic emblems that represent the histories and prerogatives of high-status individuals, families, and corporates bodies in Europe. (Burt, 97)"
7.3. "When artifacts are made to denote other objects by resembling them as images or "iconic" signs, it is these symbolic connotations that communicate the less obvious meanings. (Burt, 97)"
8. 8. Performance
8.1. This chapter talks about the colors of artifacts, body paint, and as well as the colors on costumes for cultural purposes. It says that they mainly use colors to "enhance their bodies artistically to communicate who and what they are. (Burt, 111)" In the Amazonia, woman paint their bodies to mark the coming of age. they would paint flows to symbolize the menstrual blood. Then in the Chinese parades, the costumes and the colors could not only distinguish people, but unite them in displays of solidarity, coordination, and strength. Back then the colors used in the British military would be used to diffrentiate the different fighting methods. Costumes in Papua New Guinea, would be used as a way with dealing with Spiritual beings in the real world.
8.2. "On this occasion, grandmothers painted flowing pattern designs on the bodies of girls whose reproductive lives were beginning with the flow of menstrual blood, for celebrations made enjoyable by the flowing of manioc beerproduces by their mothers. (Burt, 112.)"
8.3. "If costumes can distinguish people, they can also unite them in displays of solidarity, coordination, and strength that may impress even those who do not understand the body symbolism. (Burt, 114)"
8.4. "When going to fight, they would wear black to become aggressive and frightening. (Burt, 114)"
9. 9. Archaeology
9.1. This chapter talks a lot about iconography. It first talks about how archaeological studies are full of theories that were mistaken. We set our minds hoping to find aritfacts the predict the future and hope to one day find artiefacts that do. But were are really mistaken for artifacts that just have relationships through birth, gender, life/death, and war. Most images in artifacts are set in periods or phases. After uncovering many artifacts, we came to realization that the moche culture had underlying notions of a "sacred geography" about the landscape. In these landscapes, it shows images of crops being worked on; to ceremonial, in the same culture, hand-to-hand combats.
9.1.1. Hence, in scenes of fighting, the warriors all wore elaborate costumes with similarities and variations that did not correspond to victors and vanquished; they used maces and shields but not the lethal slingshots and spears shown in hunting scenes; warriors with naked captives carried bundles of weapons and fighting costume like trophies. All this could imply that the fighters were members of the same community, engaged in some kind of gladiatorial hand-to-hand combat, rather than serious warfare between different groups.
9.2. "Changes in style in successive layers of cultural remains in the ground allow such styles to be put in a chronological order, as “periods” or “phases.” (Burt, 128)"
9.3. Takanakuy: Fist fighting in the Andes: https://youtu.be/mKjSyZhIIiw
10. 10. The Work of Art
10.1. This chapter talks about how anthropologists have taken the study of art into new directions. There is religion and economics in art. There is economics in religion and politics. Later on it explains how the men took away the power from woman to be ceremonially initiated. There is a house filled with jaw bones from animals and many other bones. One person named Barry Craig, saw this as a work of art. At one point it talks about how art can act as work. In the lands of the Trobriand Islands, the art made by some specific people were used in boats. Mainly as a metaphor for knowledge. Then i talks about the 'Kula' canoe and the meaning behind each art piece used in the art to decorate the boat.
10.1.1. "The “head” of which the nose was a part was represented as the doka, a magical flying creature standing for human intelligence, creativity, and fallibility, as distinct from the osprey’s innate magical wisdom. The “chest” of the board bore the image of a bat in black, again showing innate wisdom in its ability to fly in the dark, as a kula canoe needed to sail, and also associated with the dark magic of sorcery and flying witches that threatened the success of kula voyages. The “tail” of the board represented a magical bird, known for its voice, which attracted as a man’s voice attracts a woman, another quality required for success in the kula exchange. The splashboard behind the prow-board had a similar composition.(Burt, 150)"