The Lascaux Caves of France

 Functions of Early Art

1.) I think these cave artists use the walls of their cave to record what they would do and saw as significant to them. These cave paintings were their form of language and depict their life through art to get their message across and I feel like the images and scenes painted on the walls are what made them, them since the artists were most likely hunting on an everyday basis in order to survive. 

2.) There is no definite way of knowing if these paintings were done my multiple people or by a single person and if there more multiple people living in these caves at the time but I feel that the shortage of men and greater number of animals painted is not focused because there was a lack of humans but because animals were much more significant. Like I mentioned previously, those who resided in the caves needed to hunt in order to survive so maybe there are more animals because it served as a guide for others to see what animals needed to be hunted and what animals are friends like the various horses painted within.

3.) I think these paintings are a good way to show how much the Paleolithic people depended on animals for their livelihood. Since there are no written text it can hard to determine if these people thought these animals to be sacred or if the animals painted were just the most common animals found in their environment and needed for clothes, food, etc. I think these paintings also tell us that they mainly hunted on a daily basis because there aren't any other scenes like gatherings or family moments.

4.) The video tour of the caves looked to be very extensive and there were various ups and downs within the caves so I'd assume that the cave painters had some difficulty navigating the caves. While I was watching the video what came to mind was how big it was and could fit many people but looked like it housed many bats as well. I remember there was a section that looked like there might have been a "ladder" to go up and this looked scary since these cave artists might have been maneuvering through the dark. I'm also not sure what type of animals there might have been at the time that lived in caves but that is also a possibility especially if cave has been there for a long time and these hunters stumbled upon it by chance.

5.) One possibility can be that this art served as a guide for younger generations or for others who needed information of the land. A second possibility can be to record their lives and what was needed to do in order to survive. Another possibility can be that art, like for many, allows for creative freedom and maybe the Paleolithic people found the act of painting to be something sacred and allowed them to express themselves through painting.

Commonalities in Function

1.)  Art is a subject that can be very subjective since for many, artwork can bring up many emotions and thoughts. The paintings in the Lascaux caves can be compared to modern art because it tells a story and gives us insight to what the artists might have seen or been thinking about. It also provides us detail into what was important at the time but as a creative outlet.

Favorite Form of Art

As a past filmmaking major, cinematography is one of my favorite forms of art.

Smile released not too long ago, makes its audience ask themselves, "have I ever hidden behind a smile?"

1.) With film, those who practice this form has free range on their creativity. There are different types of paths one can take with this artistic form and its function is to communicate a moral and this can be expressed symbolically or more explicitly. There is always a deeper meaning behind many films and even if some like Smile, is fiction, it still brings portrays a topic that needs to be talked about like trauma. Film can be documentaries that serve to directly inform the audience, or it can be animated films that may be targeted to younger viewers like Disney and Pixar but still have deeper meanings within the film.

2.) For many, film and film production, especially in Hollywood, consists of a culture where award shows and extravagant dresses are the center of attention. Obviously, this is not a realistic view on film culture because there are many great indie movies that prefer less of the glam but still host their own small but still significant award shows.  

3.) This art form for many, is used as a way of entertainment like going out on a weekend to watch a movie at the cinema and provides satisfaction. Aside from an entertainment aspect, film benefits its audience because it can introduce a heavy topic and hide it behind characters but still include the impact of learning. This however can be a double edged sword because movies like the Purge include topics like politics and the government, but the heavy violence can make younger viewers or people who can't distinguish right from wrong, commit horrendous act of violence in real life.