Human Expression Discussion

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Social Science

Course

Hum 100

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Discussion

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Freraroebja96

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Serene Brown-Martin

June 28, 2020

HUM 100 Project 2 Short Answer

Instructor: Dr. Sean Lake

I. Explain why you believe humans have a need to express themselves through created

artifacts.

Based on the knowledge gained, my own definition of an artifact may be described as any

tangible or intangible piece of work created by a human being that represents human creative

expression. Humans create artifacts for many reasons but most importantly as a means of

expression. I believe humans feel the need to express themselves through created artifacts for

reasons which may be to show appreciation of their culture, for religious reasons, to evoke

feelings and express love, for their own personal beliefs and lastly to share historical events. For

my project I studied the Venus Figurines. This artifact may be described as more than 200 small

statuettes of voluptuous female figures made from clay and other stones. While studying this

historical artifact I learned that it was created by the nomadic hunter gathers to represents women

with different physical attributes. I believe the creators felt the need to express themselves

through this piece of artifact to express love, acceptance and admiration of the female body

especially during the childbearing stages. The artifact represents the symbol of fertility, including

femininity, goddesses, beauty and eroticism in women. In the article “Shabti Dolls: The

workforce in the Afterlife”, by Joshua J. Mark (2012), the author spoke about an artifact that is

similar to mine. The article speaks about small figurines that are shaped as adult male and female

mummies created by Egyptians. These memorial figures were created by Egyptians to

accompany the dead as they depart to the spirit world. The Egyptian culture felt the need to

express themselves through this form of artifact because they believed that the afterlife reflected

life on earth. After reading this artifact I gained knowledge that the Shabti dolls was created as a

form of creative expression based on the Egyptian’s beliefs after someone dies. (Mark 2012)

II. Explain how you think the act of human creative expression impacts and is impacted by

the culture in which it was created.

The act of human creative expression has impacted and is impacted by the culture in

which it was created greatly. When someone creates an artifact usually it is a form of expression

that was influenced by their cultural experience or their geographic location. The artifact itself

may add a deeper understanding to the culture in which it was created in, or the geographic

location may also be influenced based on the materials used to make the artifact or the future

creative work that derived from that artifact. Many artifacts that we know today are

representations of a certain ethos or time, for example, literature, music, or art. They usually tell

a story or belief of what the creator was experiencing that influenced he/she to create the artifact.

While studying the Venus Figurines, I learned that after the creation and the evolution of the

Venus figurines, the nomadic hunter gatherers then discovered how to make farming tools, for

example hunting blades. This creative expression then influenced agricultural practices, new

technology, decorative body jewelry and the advent of carvings on cave walls. As it relates to the

cultural impact, I also learned that the figurines became the earliest representation of the female

anatomy. The artifact became highly religious objects to the people of the Aurignacian culture as

well as it is considered one of the first and oldest representation of the human body. The larger

reciprocal relationship between human creative expression and the culture in which it was

created is seen especially with the advent of social media. Social media has brought fort changes

in the way that we communicate with each other. Human creative expression in today’s culture is

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Serene Brown-Martin June 28, 2020 HUM 100 Project 2 Short Answer Instructor: Dr. Sean Lake I. Explain why you believe humans have a need to express themselves through created artifacts. Based on the knowledge gained, my own definition of an artifact may be described as any tangible or intangible piece of work created by a human being that represents human creative expression. Humans create artifacts for many reasons but most importantly as a means of expression. I believe humans feel the need to express themselves through created artifacts for reasons which may be to show appreciation of their culture, for religious reasons, to evoke feelings and express love, for their own personal beliefs and lastly to share historical events. For my project I studied the Venus Figurines. This artifact may be described as more than 200 small statuettes of voluptuous female figures made from clay and other stones. While studying this historical artifact I learned that it was created by the nomadic hunter gathers to represents women with different physical attributes. I believe the creators felt the need to express themselves through this piece of artifact to express love, acceptance and admiration ...
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Tags: Human Creative Expression Artifact creation Venus Figurines Uncle Same Wants You David Hockney