There is a site in Norway that has remained to remind us of our earliest ancestors and their desire to tell stories through art. It is not so very old, only about 6,500 years. Practically yesterday by our universe's calendar. And so, my question is - how long is long enough to preserve art... does it become more important or less with the adage of centuries.
The site is the Vingen Rock Art Site in Norway’s Vestland county. The art - some 3,000 carvings is the current tenant of the land. But there are plans to place a quarry next door as their neighbor...at the peak of the closest mountain. And experts say this could rain down noise, light, and dust as reported in an article by ArtNet Pro. (An Ancient Rock Art Site in Norway Is Under Threat (artnet.com)). It appears the Sandstone in this area is particularly in demand. And it appears the quarry approval was based on "great societal benefits".
How does one grade societal benefits? Preserving art that can only been seen when walking the misty landscape of native rock or through benefit of a well-taken photo verses excavation of such rock for inclusion in a future possible antiquity such as a church or public building that may or may not be standing 100...or 1,000 years from now? Which one will our children revere? Can both possibly exist in harmony? Are gaping quarry holes considered beautiful? Who judges such beauty?
I have no answers as my first instinct is to protect our 6,500 year old ancestors art left behind. (Did they know they were leaving it to us?). But as an architecture fan the stone has to come from somewhere to create beautiful structures upon our land created by the men and women of today...to be left to future generations. How long should it be expected to last to become art? It certainly cannot last so long to be an antiquity...can it? Can we even strive to create antiquities?
I have been inspired by such ancient rock art as seen in my paintings 'Leap of Faith', 'Primitive Horses Running on Cave Wall I' and 'Carousel'.
Perhaps the Vingen art will center my inspiration for the next primitive painting in the series.
To learn more please visit the Bradshaw Foundation's Rock Art Network.
Leap of Faith by Holly K Fine Artist
