1. Describe the term “paleoanthropsychobiological.” Who coined this term?
   The author, Dissanayake, coined the term paleoanthropsychobiological in her essay, “What is Art For?”. She coined this term because she felt that her “own view of art for life’s sake…is so different…that it doesn’t have a name,” (Dissanayake, 15). Dissanayake states that this term means several things. “Paleo” stands for the Paleolithic era and means that art has been present as long as humans, or even before. “Anthro” is short for anthropological, and means that art is present across all of human cultures and societies. “Psycho” means that “art is a psychological or emotional need and has psychological or emotional effects,” (Dissanayake, 15). Finally, “biological” means that in order for the three preceding ideas to be present, art must be thought of as a common trait across all of humanity.
2. What does Dissanayake mean by the phrase “making special?” How does it relate to art and to human survival?
   The phrase “making special” means that it is human nature to decide to make something stand out from the ordinary, or make it special. Dissanayake states that, “all animals [including humans] can tell the difference between the ordinary or routine and the extraordinary or unusual,” (Dissanayake, 22) because without this tool they would have been unable to survive. Animals are aware of the sounds of approaching predators, sounds that are “special” in comparison to others. However for humans, this ability to recognize things that stand out from the norm took on a new form and perhaps shows the beginning of art. People began to be able to make things stand out themselves “at least 250,000 years ago – more than ten times earlier than the cave paintings that are usually called the ‘beginning of art,’” (Dissanayake, 22). Dissanayake gives various examples, including describing a colored material that would have been used for drawing on bodies or other things in order to make them stand out as something special. Making things appear special shows that humans have had the desire and ability to create things that stand out for a very long time, just as art continues to stand out in our modern world.
3. Dissanayake identifies many different theories/movements/periods of art throughout western European history. Name three different theories of art that Dissanayake mentions in her essay. Identify the time period when each theory developed and was prominent. Provide a brief description of each theory of art. Support your answer with quotes from the reading.
   – Medieval/Renaissance:
   During the medieval period and renaissance periods, artists produced works that were accurate representations of the world around them. Medieval art was centered on religion. Later, during the Renaissance period, art no longer solely depicted religious subject matter, “but [artists’] works continued to portray a recognizable world, whether actual or ideal,” (Dissanayake, 16).
   – Modernism:
   Modernism marks a period in the eighteenth century when art became an ideology. The subject of aesthetics was born, which involved “a concern with elucidating principles such as taste and beauty that govern all the arts and indeed make them not simply paintings or statues but examples of (fine) ‘art,’” (Dissanayake, 17). During the next century while modernism developed, this molded into the ideology that people should maintain a “disinterested” attitude in order to fully appreciate the art. The disinterested attitude meant that a person was separated from “one’s own personal interest in the object, its utility, or its social or religious ramifications,” (Dissanayake, 17). This disinterest signified that people were capable of appreciating all art, even if it had no relation to their current culture or values. “In this sense, art was ‘universal,’” (Dissanayake, 18).
   – Postmodernism:
   Postmodernism is a movement that arrived at the end of the twentieth century. It was a period that sought to be the end of all artistic movements. During this time it is thought that, “’taste’ and ‘beauty’ and ‘art for art’s sake’ are constructions that express class interests.” It was believed that artists did not construct their art for the purpose of sticking to rules and values that the modernists developed, but instead as representations of their own personal thoughts, cultures, and values.

Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? In K. C. Caroll (Ed.). Keynote adresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.