Exercise 2 - Symbols and Communication

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Create Your Own Cave Painting

Cave paintings, some of the earliest forms of visual communication, are found in locations like Lascaux, France, and Altamira, Spain. These images, dating back over 17,000 years, depict animals, human figures, and symbols. Scholars believe they served multiple purposes, including spiritual or ritualistic functions, storytelling, and marking territory. Prehistoric people didn’t have written language, so they used visual imagery to communicate complex ideas. These images were often made using natural materials like ochre, charcoal, and pigments derived from plants and minerals, painted or engraved onto cave walls.

In this exercise, you’ll explore how early humans used imagery to communicate and apply that understanding by creating your own modern version of a "cave painting."

 

Objective:

To understand the significance of early visual symbols and storytelling methods in human communication and their connection to modern design practices.

 

Instructions:

1. Research:

   • Start by looking at examples of real cave paintings, particularly those from Lascaux and Altamira. Pay attention to the simplicity of the forms, use of space, and repetition of symbols.

   • Reflect on the context of prehistoric life. What types of messages were important in this era (e.g., survival, hunting, spiritual beliefs)?

2. Conceptualize Your Own Cave Painting:

   • Think about a modern message you want to convey without the use of words or modern symbols. It could be something personal, like an important memory or an experience, or something universal, like a story about community, nature, or survival in the contemporary world.

   • Translate this message into visual symbols. You can use animals, human figures, abstract shapes, or natural elements—just as prehistoric artists did.

3. Materials:

   • You may create your painting digitally using tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, or you can work by hand with materials like charcoal, markers or pencil/pen.

   • If you're using color, keep your color palette simple.

4. Creation:

   • Create a visual composition on your chosen medium (paper or digital) that uses only symbols, imagery, and shapes. Avoid using letters or modern-day icons.

   • Try to capture a sense of narrative or meaning within the painting, even though you are restricted to visual elements.

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Reflection (300–500 words):

After completing the visual component, write a reflection (in Word) that answers the following:

• Why did you choose the specific symbols you used?

• How does your cave painting tell a story or communicate a message without using text?

• What was challenging about creating visual symbols to represent complex ideas?

 

Submission Requirements:

• A high-resolution photo or scan of your cave painting (or a digital version if created on a computer). Place your images and reflection into a word doc or Adobe Express webpage for submission.

• Submit your exercise as a Word document, PDF, or Adobe Express link.