study material: <story of art>-Gombrich

chapter 1 strange beginnings-historic and primitive people: ancient america

the use of the term "art" is a very recent development. 

in the past time, they are not just appreciation-purpose only art pieces, they all had been made for specific purposes. therefore, if we don't understand what purposes it intended to serve, we may not able to understand art from the past.

the further we go back in history, the more definite and clear are the aims that art was supposed to serve.

不要以为他们的东西看起来不顺眼就认为他们的手艺不过如此，与我们不同的不是他们的工艺水平，而是他们的思想观念。从一开始理解这一点很重要，因为整个艺术发展史并不是技术熟练程度的发展史，而是观念和诉求的变化史。

如果不理解他的意思和背景，那么也很难欣赏作品本身和其背后含义。

例如aztecs人的雷雨神雕像：热带雨林雨水至关重要－下雨前打雷闪电闪电形状像蛇－认为蛇是神物－与与水有关－于是雷雨神的脸是蛇排起来的组合。

如果不对当地的各种加以了解，以及想象式的切身体会，就很难理解并加以欣赏。

类似的道理可以在比如pacific 原住民art，印度尼西亚art中找到，我们眼中的“丑”，其实背后是他们的自然崇拜。要明白其背后原因和价值，才能欣赏其中奥妙。