A SCI-Arc student introduces Eric Orr, who introduces Thomas McEvilley.
McEvilley discusses representation and self in the context of an investigation of the way humans have represented themselves throughout history. McEvilley reflects on what it feels like to be human in different times and places as well as how the figure is represented in relation to space.
McEvilley presents early human representations in history from the Paleolithic period, ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. McEvilley discusses the characteristics of paintings and sculptures from these periods that depict an absence of space and inspire imagination and potential space.
McEvilley discusses the evolution of human representation in art between the Neolithic period and ancient Greece. McEvilley states an evolution in the depiction of women and men, where the face becomes more detailed and a separate ego and self-awareness begins to emerge on these pieces.
McEvilley discusses human representation in art in the middle ages, the Renaissance and during the Romantic era. He compares Renaissance pieces that depict a sense of a constrained environment around the human figure with medieval and romantic art pieces where a blurring of boundaries and relation to nature produce the opposite effect by expanding the potential space.
