Paper short abstract:

Drawing upon examples from Central Mediterranean prehistory (extending from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age), this paper considers when, where, how and why producers and consumers transformed visual materials and associated ways of seeing and sensing.

Paper long abstract:

Exploring the long-term transformation of visual material with reference to its production and consumption in prehistoric societies, this paper models how successive generations of makers skilfully and selectively convert old and new ideas into material products, whilst working within culturally- and historically-specific technological and social constraints. These include a respect for convention and tradition, and a tendency to innovate, so as to avoid endless repetition and to respond to an ever-changing world, combining personal ability and inventiveness with external stimuli. Consumers also contribute to the renewal of visual material. They place demands on producers, and embed art-works within a variety of social and sensory processes and practices. These include circulation, accumulation, sacrifice, display, spectatorship and evaluation, both in daily life and within the context of repeated ritual performances. In these contexts, finished products are ascribed old and new functions, meanings and values, none of which are ever wholly accepted. Both producers and consumers, then, contribute to and negotiate artistic creativity and innovation. This process generally takes place very gradually. However, people can perceive innovation as particularly appropriate at times of profound socio-economic disruption, conflict and change. These tensions may be triggered, for example, by the immigration of new peoples, food shortages or the death of a relative, and are characterised by the break-up of old social connections, identities and attitudes and the re-establishment of new ones. In this way, visual culture can serve as a medium through which people re-present and re-construct themselves in response to these tensions.