Books How Art Made the World: A Journey to the Origins of Human Creativity  by Nigel Spivey (Author)

"How Art Made the World: A Journey to the Origins of Human Creativity" by Nigel Spivey explores humanity's unique capacity for artistic expression and how art has shaped human history and identity. Spivey, an art historian and academic, takes readers on a journey spanning over 100,000 years and five continents, from prehistoric cave paintings in Altamira and Lascaux to African and Native American rock art, to the masterpieces of Ancient Egypt, Greece, and the visual culture of the digital age.

The book seeks to answer fundamental questions such as why humans created art in the first place, what subconscious forces guide the artist’s hand, and why artistic portrayals often exaggerate human features. It examines art as a tool for mass persuasion, the creation of hierarchical societies, and as a way for humans to confront mortality and the unknown. Using vivid examples and modern scientific insights from neuroscience and psychology, Spivey argues that humans are hardwired for art, and symbolic imagery originates deep in our collective psyche.