Cave art as installation art : analysis of the human-art-wall triad in three Cantabrian caves, and embedded interactivity in the image-making and image-viewing process
Why were caves selected as places for art in the Palaeolithic? The question has not yet been explained. Previously, I attempted to answer it in part by examining cave art from the perspective of installation art whose aim is to provide us with different multisensory experiences to those of quotidian life. As a result, this theory of contemporary art led to a theory, cave art as installation art, which denotes an interactive nature between humans and a cave's physical environment. In this thesis I develop this theory through the provision of concrete observations obtained from fieldwork in decorated caves. I investigate 54 images from three caves (Covalanas, El Pendo, El Castillo) in Cantabria, Spain, focusing on the interactivities of cave art during the production and post-production (viewing) phases. The environmental factor concerned is the condition of the cave's wall, with which humans were able to interact creatively. The data collected comprises three categories, each of which testifies to a different type of interactivity: integration of natural lines with art; topographic conditions of the art area; and distortion of images due to its background topography. These categories reflect how the wall's
Sakamoto, Takashi
Cave art as installation art : analysis of the human-art-wall triad in three Cantabrian caves, and embedded interactivity in the image-making and image-viewing process. Why were caves selected as places for art in the Palaeolithic? The question has not yet been explained. Previously, I attempted to answer it in part by examining cave art from the perspective of installation art whose aim is to provide us with different multisensory experiences to those of quotidian life. As a result, this theory of contemporary art led to a theory, cave art as installation art, which denotes an interactive nature between humans and a cave's physical environment. In this thesis I develop this theory through the provision of concrete observations obtained from fieldwork in decorated caves. I investigate 54 images from three caves (Covalanas, El Pendo, El Castillo) in Cantabria, Spain, focusing on the interactivities of cave art during the production and post-production (viewing) phases. The environmental factor concerned is the condition of the cave's wall, with which humans were able to interact creatively. The data collected comprises three categories, each of which testifies to a different type of interactivity: integration of natural lines with art; topographic conditions of the art area; and distortion of images due to its background topography. These categories reflect how the wall's
cave art installation art analysis human art wall cave embed interactivity image making image viewing process cave select place art palaeolithic question yet explain previously_attempt answer part_examine cave art perspective installation art whose aim_provide different experience quotidian life theory contemporary_art lead theory cave art installation art denote interactive nature human cave physical_environment develop_theory provision concrete observation obtain fieldwork decorate cave investigate image cave spain focus cave art production post production view phase environmental_factor concerned condition cave wall human able interact creatively data_collect comprises three_category different_type interactivity integration natural line art topographic condition art area distortion image due background topography category reflect wall