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Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials

Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials

Published on: January 11, 2020

The evolution of human artistic creativity.

Gillian M Morriss-Kay¹

¹Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Oxford, UK. gillian.morriss-kay@dpag.ox.ac.uk

Journal of Anatomy

|November 11, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The origins of human art are ancient, likely beginning in Africa with body decoration and abstract patterns. This cognitive ability, crucial for survival, evolved before human dispersal, leading to diverse artistic traditions globally.

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Area of Science:

Paleoanthropology
Cognitive Archaeology
Art History

Background:

The creation of visual art is a defining human characteristic, yet its evolutionary origins remain unclear due to limited archaeological evidence.
Upper Paleolithic European art (≥30,000 years ago) demonstrates fully modern human cognition, suggesting art's origins predate this period.

Observation:

Early artistic behaviors include body decoration (ochre, beads) and abstract patterns (zig-zags, lines), potentially linked to physiological phenomena or functional needs.
The development of 2D and 3D art forms, including representational images, suggests significant cognitive evolution, particularly in visual perception and imagination.
Early 3D art may have originated from modifying natural objects, while 2D art was influenced by surface textures and later by imagination.

Findings:

The cognitive capacity for creating art separate from the body originated in Africa, predating global human migration.
Early tool-making techniques reveal cognitive deconstruction of objects, a principle applicable to the creation of early sculptures and reliefs.
Artistic development involved a crucial evolutionary shift in neural structures for perception and imagination, conferring survival advantages in tool-making and hunting.

Implications:

Understanding the deep evolutionary roots of art provides insights into human cognition, behavior, and cultural development.
The study highlights the role of individual innovation and genetic/cultural diversity in the emergence and regional variation of artistic practices.
Further research into early African archaeological sites is crucial for uncovering more evidence on the earliest forms of artistic expression.