Soulscape 18, Art Is the Foundation of Human Evolution
From My Upcoming Book: Soulscape – The Role of Art in Our Lives
Horses' Heads from the Chauvet Cave, c. 30,000-32,000 BC. Ardèche, France. Photo: © Bradshaw Foundation.
Art from the prehistoric era, such as the horse head paintings in Chauvet Cave, predated the written word by 25,000 years. Instead of reacting only to immediate survival needs, these early humans began to imagine and represent things—i.e., make art. By painting images like the horse heads, they captured visual abstractions of reality—something no other animals can do. This act required memory, imagination, and keen observation. It was an epochal cognitive leap that laid the foundation for human evolution and the birth of modern humans.
Though taken for granted today, visual art still has that extraordinary power—to guide humanity’s next evolutionary steps. Innovative art enhances our perceptual awareness, sparks new ways of thinking, and catapults our spiritual awareness—just as it did at the birth of modern humanity.
Art is a window to our future.
Artwork: Chauvet Caves, Horses’ Heads.
Written by Michael Newberry.
Video and Voice created with Clipchamp.