The Great Walls

These images are found in southwestern France, inside the caves of Lascaux. There are some 2000 of them - drawn, painted, etched on the walls.



The artists who made them lived anywhere from 13-15,000 years BC. Their palette was limited, their tools rudimentary. And yet, using a hand to act as a stencil, a blow tube to spray pigment, and all by the glow of torchlight, Paeleolithic peoples used rock walls as a canvas for their masterpieces.



Discovered in 1940 by a group of teenagers, the caves of Lascaux were once open to the public. But the many visitors - 1200 daily - began taking a toll on the magnificent frescoes. Too much carbon dioxide was expelled into the air, a result of the vistors' breath. It seems ironic that breath, the very means by which many of the paintings were created, could also threaten their continued existence. The cave was closed to the public in 1963.



Today, the only way to fully appreciate this art is by traveling to France and visiting Lascaux 2, a recreation of the two most breathtaking galleries. I'm thinking I might need to buy an airline ticket. Until I do, I'll enjoy reading my coffee table books.

And I'll try making some more of my own -- as test tiles, of course -- at Clayworks!