Neanderthal

Julia de Jong

Acrylic on Canvas

This piece’s title was chosen due to the central inspiration being the Paleolithic Period. Specifically, the Neanderthals. This title is representative of the artistic embodiment of the Neanderthal's artistic spirit that has passed down to today. The inspiration of this period in time consequently affected my creativity. Inspiration had been found through the northern lights, an unpolluted sky, and the art that our ancestors had created in caves. I had chosen to draw my inspiration from these sources as a link to a simpler time of survival and exploration. When creating this artwork, I primarily used my hands, refraining from using any other art supplies such as a brush. With the goal of this method being to connect me further to the methods of our ancestors, using my hands as the tool for creation. Over top of the surface I chose to use my hands in the ground, symbolizing the marks our ancestors had made on cave walls. I then chose to use the palm of my hand to streak upward, with the intention to symbolize a lone caveman. This artwork holds importance to me as I find myself drawn to our ancient history. However, the decision to center this work around my father. As many of his actions make me think of the creativity and ingenuity of our Neanderthal ancestors. Therefore, the main focal point of this work is representative of my father.