ROCK ART IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND AESTHETICS

Abstract

An approach to rock art based in aesthetics is proposed for. Objections to such an approach, stemming from archaeologists and anthropologists, are addressed and described in terms of their epistemological, methodological and ethical dimensions. Key objections are explained and answered by noting that they tend to base on an outdated conception of art that precedes 20th century developments. It is argued that, once the art historical viewpoint is adjusted so that it incorporates the development of 20th and 21st century art and aesthetic theory, an approach to rock art from the perspective of aesthetics can be recognised as a valuable resource for understanding the lifeworld of its creators and the human condition that we share with them. / Se propone una aproximación al arte rupestre basada en la estética. Se tratan y describen objeciones a este enfoque por parte de arqueólogos y antropólogos, en sus dimensiones epistemológicas, metodológicas y éticas. Se explican las objeciones principales y se responden, señalando que suelen estar basadas en una concepción anticuada del arte, anterior al desarrollo del siglo XX. Se sostiene que, una vez que se modifica el punto de vista de la historia del arte, incorporando el arte y la teoría estética de los siglos XX y XXI, una aproximación al arte rupestre desde una perspectiva estética puede ser reconocida como un recurso valioso para la comprensión del mundo de sus creadores y de la condición humana que compartimos con ellos.