Why Art? Let the cave answer it!

Dear reader, be warned that this post is headed into brooding-thought territory. But, wait! Don’t turn away just yet, I promise to lead you to a light at the end of the tunnel. If you deem yourself an adventurous soul, grab a piece of chocolate to bite when the trail becomes sad or troubling, and let its sweetness help carry you until you see the light again.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams film poster

Ready to dig in?

A few weeks ago, I watched the documentary The Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog. In this film the German director, producer and film writer Herzog takes us into the nearly inaccessible Chauvet Cave in France, which houses the oldest cave art ever discovered.

Watching this film catapulted a question into my mind: Why art? For some reason, I am always answering this question for myself, to remind me of its value and validity. Let me tell you, there is nothing more draining than living with disenchantment and being surrounded with cynicism, especially for a soul who blossoms through beauty. It makes me want to curl up and check out. How can people bear to live in a self-imposed desert of the soul? I know I can’t. Maybe people who are more practically wired can get away without ever contemplating their need for beauty or meaning, but for me, life in our culture requires keeping the desert in check through things like yoga, therapy, meditation, and art. It can be a daily battle.

Chauvet Lion Panel 

I see the wasteland’s origin in the mental separation modern people have put between them and the life that surrounds them – animals, plants, landscape, natural forces, etc. While watching the cave video, it was impossible for me to ignore the wall’s whispers of profound belonging. When someone is able to capture the contour of a lion’s back in one perfect, informed stroke, it is evident that they have spent endless amounts of time contemplating their subject. As a figurative artist, I know this to be true. Only after hundreds of hours of looking and replicating do you achieve a “knowledgeable hand” like this. But we don’t just look very often, do we? If we don’t observe where we are and “with what” we are, we only become more and more alienated. This separation from the rest of the world is akin to cutting off an artery that brings essential oxygen and nutrients to the body. What is there to be gained from the separation we hold on to? What is there to be lost?

I vote for a “being-a-part-of-it” movement. Starting to relate through the touch, sight, smell, and sound that we live with. I write this as an allowance for myself; I write this as a reminder that I am not doing anything criminal by what the outside may perceive merely as idle sitting.

In the documentary, Werner Herzog made a comment about how the cave paintings are engraved memories of the people that existed 30,000 years ago. In the face of the harsh living conditions of a hunter-gatherer’s world, maybe life became more bearable and less threatening through this manifestation of memories – rituals and ceremonies in the dark belly of the earth where you are able to consciously walk through your dreams. What rituals do we need to create to bring life back to our marooned spirits? What art will make us feel empowered, connected, and at ease?

The eco-philosopher Joanna Macy said that in the face of her husband’s death, she was able to weather and heal her loss by dipping herself into the beauty of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry. When will you dip yourself into beauty again? When will you allow yourself to idly watch the ocean’s waves? Please share with us when you do!

Carolin