In order to understand the importance of rock art to ancient people, it is crucial to recognize that many traditional people believe that images have the power to affect nature, that art invokes reality, that art can 'make things happen.' Creating art, therefore, is a potentially powerful and sometimes dangerous act.
Winston Hurst and Jonathan Till, "Mesa Verdean Sacred Landscapes," The Mesa Verde World: Explorations in Ancestral Pueblo Archaeology
I found this quote while doing some required reading before my Colorado trip. I am learning so much from this book, and I cannot wait to discuss so many things during the workshop.
I think it's interesting that while rock art may not be quite as popular today as it was during the ancient Puebloan times, art in general still has a very similar desire for affect and effect. Sure, many modern artists might not be making art to manipulate the rainfall, signal a fruitful hunting season, or to incite healthy fertility. But don't so many creators of art contribute to revolutionary ideas and ideals, with the power to spark change or at least a conversation that may lead to change?
