Art 101 - Wednesday, Period Four - 9/09
Today, class was meeting in a small cave. At the back, there seemed to be a running stream and near the 'door', sunlight streamed in. That would be a constant in Professor Chevalier's class: sunlight, always, when it came to the Danger Shop.
Also assembled were various, somewhat rustic-looking paintbrushes and pots of paint.
"Today," he announced as they walked in, "we'll be covering prehistoric art."
The 'prehistoric' cave also, apparently, came with a slide projector.
"Items such as the Venus of Willendorf, the Lascaux cave paintings and this pot, found in Korea, were produced in the Neolithic age. There are examples of a aesthetic from earlier times, even before there were homo sapiens, but the first true 'art' is considered to be" he flicked back to the statue "her. The Venus of Willendorf, over 40,000 years old."
He let that sink in a little before continuing.
"Pictographs and petroglyphs are some of the best known, but as you can see from the Venus and the pot, art served many purposes even then. From bowing to the aesthetic to historical record to possible mystical or religious significance, art from it's very beginnings was a complex and multi-faceted subject."
He spread his hands to the supplies and gestured behind him to where the water flowed behind him.
"Today, I'd ask you to give these modes of expression a try, get your hands dirty. Paint on the wall and form pictographs, or use the picks to make petroglyphs. Behind me, there's some soft clay for molding as well as a few limestone rocks if anyone would like to try their hand at sculpture in that fashion. Tell your story, make something meaningful to you... or perhaps just make something pretty to put in your room and use to hold your keys. Work together or alone as you like. It's up to you.
"And, as always, feel free to ask me or our new teaching assistant, Shilo, for assistance."
[ocd up!]
Also assembled were various, somewhat rustic-looking paintbrushes and pots of paint.
"Today," he announced as they walked in, "we'll be covering prehistoric art."
The 'prehistoric' cave also, apparently, came with a slide projector.
"Items such as the Venus of Willendorf, the Lascaux cave paintings and this pot, found in Korea, were produced in the Neolithic age. There are examples of a aesthetic from earlier times, even before there were homo sapiens, but the first true 'art' is considered to be" he flicked back to the statue "her. The Venus of Willendorf, over 40,000 years old."
He let that sink in a little before continuing.
"Pictographs and petroglyphs are some of the best known, but as you can see from the Venus and the pot, art served many purposes even then. From bowing to the aesthetic to historical record to possible mystical or religious significance, art from it's very beginnings was a complex and multi-faceted subject."
He spread his hands to the supplies and gestured behind him to where the water flowed behind him.
"Today, I'd ask you to give these modes of expression a try, get your hands dirty. Paint on the wall and form pictographs, or use the picks to make petroglyphs. Behind me, there's some soft clay for molding as well as a few limestone rocks if anyone would like to try their hand at sculpture in that fashion. Tell your story, make something meaningful to you... or perhaps just make something pretty to put in your room and use to hold your keys. Work together or alone as you like. It's up to you.
"And, as always, feel free to ask me or our new teaching assistant, Shilo, for assistance."
[ocd up!]