The term paleoanthropsychobiological was coined by Ellen Dissanayake. When breaking down the word it literally means the study of mental processes and social interactions of ancient people. Paleo means ancient, anthrop is human, psych is mind, bi is life and log is study. I view it to be defined as ancient thoughts of the mind by a person who is studying living things. I relate this with art as humans use history, mind, life and study to create something beautiful. I think Ellen uses this word to describe that art is all around us and it is the make up of who we are as humans.
Dissanayake means by the phrase “making special” that anything in our world is valued as important. I think she is arguing that in life we enjoying making things special and that art is no different. I feel that she is explaining that if we believe in art and view it as special, then the art will be special. Art is created in many different ways through each person’s creative, perspectives and emotions. Expressing art is a very special thing and that people need to view art through this light of “making it special.” In order to see the beauty in it, it needs to stand out and be appreciated for what it is.
One theory of art is the renaissance, which occurred during the medieval times. The time frame for this was around the 14th to 16th century. This theory indicates that art is used as service of religion. People’s views of art are different from the art of the artists during this time period. “It meant having a correct understanding of the principles involved, rather as we understand the art.” (Dissanayake p. 16) Different trends occurring during the Renaissance time that moved people away from strict religion and towards freedom of life.
Another theory of art is modernism, which refers to art as ideology. This theory was around the 18- 19th century. Art in modernism is focused on the personal experience of human beings and the value of human nature. “Art had become if not a religion, an ideology whose principles were articulated by and for the few who had leisure and education enough to acquire them.” ( Dissanayake p. 18) People’s view towards art is changing but more opened views bring more people to see art in a new look.
The last theory of art is postmodernism, which refers to as interpretation. This theory was around the mid 20th century. This theory challenges the “modernist ideology” that art can be the intrinsic of everybody and viewed anywhere in our everyday life. This theory supports the idea that art is universal and anybody is able to understand art, even though his or her meaning may be a little different. “Art is not universal, but conceptually constructed by individuals whose perceptions are necessarily limited and parochial.” (Dissanayake p. 19)