Art as a Culture

 

Functions of Early Art

    Strolling through the Lascaux caves of the Vézère Valley, one is met with a plethora of distinct animal illustrations. Illustrations made by a civilization whose exact ideology is clandestine at this point. Guesses to the intentions behind these illustrations can range from regional animal recognition, possible communication between food foragers and hunters, or amalgamations of existing organisms in the shape of mythical creatures.

    Intentions, aside, the dominant form painted in the crevices of this cave is non human. Animal illustrations populate the walls of the Lascaux caves signifying great importance to the hands that brought them to existence. Where would this importance stem from, however? This could very well be an index of prey for people at that time, a simple record of the abundant common creatures at the time. Their distinguishable, often exaggerated, features give an opening to the idea that this could've been a communication method between cave dwellers to more easily identify the animals surrounding the area. These animals could also be mythical creations by the artists. Regardless, these artist would not draw this amount of horses, bulls, and felines were they not a regular sight in their lives.

    Many of the illustrations of bulls within the cave can be seen to be colored differently in certain body parts. More specifically, the bodies would often be colored red and the head black. A possible explanation for this could be that the artists are showing the parts of the animals they usually dismembered after hunting, using them for meat, fur, or tools. This could give us a hint towards the methods of weaponry and subsistence amongst Paleolithic people.

    An obvious but notable obstacle for artists at the time was their lack of materials. Limited palettes ranged from black to a short array of brown, red, and yellow. Artists had to obtain their pigments from wood and bone charcoal as well as minerals such as yellow goethite and red hematite. Another difficulty that came with making these illustrations was the different wall structures in the caves. Walls with a white calcite covering as can be seen in the Axial Gallery and the Hall of bulls prompted artists to resort to drawing. Contrastingly, corroded limestone, which covered the walls of the Passageway, the Chamber of Felines, the Apse, and the Nave called for engraving as a preferable method over drawing or painting.

    Functions of these drawings and engravings could be countless. This craft could be the core of communication between Paleolithic people, bringing about a list of animals and the strategies used to hunt them. They could also be used as a visual accompaniment for storytelling and folklore, making these creations a remnant of the possible values passed down through generations. In the subject of values, a depiction of religion or ideology could be hidden behind the brushstrokes and engravings of the Lascaux caves, which would not only explain the abundance of animals in these works of art, but also prance around the philosophy carried by the Paleolithic.

Commonalities in Function

Similar to the art of the Lascaux caves, the art that surrounds us today is highly communicative. This current colossal variety of techniques paints an ideology, a lesson, a worldview. Messages are cradled by brushstrokes, sculpted with an influence otherwise absent in words. Some art forms more blunt than others, motor societal progression. They enforce a community's customs, values and points the eye to a preferred set of behaviors. Essentially, they are the visual residue of their own civilization.

Personal Artistic Interest

    If it wasn't notable enough at this point, a large part of my artistic interest lies with ball-jointed dolls. Originating from France and Germany's bisque dolls in the 19th century, It is a common art form in Japan, Guatemala, Mexico and various other cultures across the globe. The foundation of these dolls can range from ceramics and composite to resin and clay.

Mary Louise McLean's French Bisque fashion doll (1872)

    The cultural function of ball-jointed dolls varies between cultures. The French and German Bisque dolls were mostly intended to market to affluent families and their children, making them a symbol of wealth dressed in contemporary clothing. These dolls, as well as ball-jointed dolls in Asian regions such as Japan, would prove to be a sturdy economic pillar of their markets. 

    

    

The culture surrounding ball-jointed dolls that I'm acquainted with would be the Quinceañera dolls of Latin America. Known as "La Ultima Muñeca" (The Last Doll), These are a part of one of the multiple Quinceañera traditions, in which the father of the Quinceañera hands a ball jointed doll dressed with the same clothes. This doll is a representation of the Quinceañera's transition into adulthood, symbolizing that she will leave behind her toys and take new interests beyond them in her adult life. 

  
   

     Ceremonial value or not, these dolls have brought upon many collectors in modern day, bringing upon a global community surrounding ball-jointed dolls with a large catalogue of styles ranging from traditional victorian fashion dolls to abstract art dolls. Their demand is high enough in the market that artists have been able to build a subsistence out of the creation of these dolls.