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The largest difference between the Mesopotamian and Egyptian cultures were those of religious beliefs and practices. Both were strongly devoted to the afterlife, though Egypt was moreso, especially in the preparation of mummies and tombs. Mesopotamia, however, was also much more devoted to the praise of its leaders, producing more art of prominent figures than of their religious icons. Another comparison can be found in their writings, as both heiroglyphics and Cuneiform use images of common figures such as birds, grass, and water, though heiroglyphics were much more reliant on these images for their writing, while Cuneiform also used simple marks. A strong difference in these writings is the purpose behind such, as heiroglyphics has three forms ( one being specifically for religious purposes), while Cuneiform has two, simple and complex.
One of the most remarkable traits of Ancient Egyptian culture is the religion. Even in the modern day people are fascinated with Egyptian gods and the culture around them. This devotion to religion is prevalent especially in art, be it writing, carving, ceramics, architecture, or burial ceremonies. These pieces of art act as a medium through which the people of this civilization express their beliefs. In many of these pieces, the gods themselves are represented, and are often named in written text as well, when heiroglyphics are translatable. The Palette of King Narmer is an excellent example, as though the piece is about Narmer, several gods are included. This is also greatly expressed in the funerary practices of leaders and respected members of society, through mummification and the architecture of the tombs themselves. These tombs, as well as the ceramics that contain organs and other valuables are designed for the purpose of guiding the dead to the afterlife, with many of the ceramics and writings depicting a large array of gods. These pieces of art provide a valuable insight into the relationship people had with their religion and the specific ways in which they practiced their beliefs.
I only partially agree with your point on the lion-human. Yes, it seems very precise, but sometimes that’s not the point of abstract art. It truly depends on if the creator was intending to create a hybrid or so as the note on the photo says: depict someone wearing a mask. The truth could be a mix of the two, as the lion-human could represent a link between someone wearing the mask during a ceremony and an actual lion.
There are quite a few definitions of abstract, and one that I particularly find suitable is that abstract art is meant to represent ideas and concepts as opposed to representing actual, tangible things. A good comparison would be between the different sculptures of people from the Paleolithic and Neolithic times and cave paintings. The different cave paintings provided in the prehistoric art wing here all show a representation of tangible concepts:animals. They depict a group of horses, bison, and many more animals that actually exist and the images produced resemble the animals closely enough for them to be easily identified. This is different to the sculptures of people, as they moreso provide an idea as opposed to a representation of a specific person. The women in particular, with exaggerated hips and breasts, could be a symbol for fertility, women in general, or motherhood, and in my opinion only the people from that time, maybe only the person that created them, really knows for sure. To say that all prehistoric art is abstract would be an understatement. Like art today, there is some that is abstract and some that isn’t, and in a lot of cases, whether or not a piece is abstract relies on the viewer and their subjective observations and experiences relating to the piece.
Hi, my friend worked with the reindeer up at LARS, and now works at the Santa Claus House in North Pole. Hopefully your business works out, it seems like getting into that and being successful is pretty hard.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rza9c3XIgqyfOGQvdmO509hieNuEngfd/view
Here’s the link to my video. Sorry that it’s a glorified powerpoint, I don’t have a voice at the moment.I agree with your frustration at the “appealing” part of the definition, it’s why I chose my quote as well. I think a lot of artists deliberately make their art to appear “ugly and unappealing” either to make a point or simply because it’s enjoyable. I certainly enjoy making something ugly, looking at it, and saying “that’s horrible, I love it”.
1. What is Art?
The first definition is “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.’ I find that I disagree with this on the grounds that there are many forms of art that aren’t visual. I feel that it completely ignores music as an artform, though I believe it is definitely the most popular, since it’s everywhere (radio, concerts, in movies, etc). The definition I agree with is, “Art is an activity such as music, painting, literature, film, and dance, which people can take part in for enjoyment, or to create works that express certain meanings or ideas of beauty.’ Though it isn’t a perfect definition, as creating one would be difficult due to the subjective nature of the subject, this one definitely makes an attempt, and was by far the closest one I could find to perfect for my personal view.2. What is Art History?
The definition of art history is fairly self explanatory, as it’s the study of art and its place in the society from which it originates. What isn’t explained in the name is the reasoning behind studying art and the significance art has historically when studying cultures or societies long since past. Art is a form of expression, and as such, the art itself contains many of the feelings and perspectives of the artist. Through analyzing this, we can get a much closer look at what people believed, how they interacted, and how society worked during that time period for the artist. With this knowledge, it becomes possible to see how societies have changed over time, the needs behind certain inventions or innovations, and how they are likely to change in the future.
