Jacob Bronowski, Excerpt from  "The Ascent of Man" (1973)Ellen Dissanayake, "The Birth of the Arts" (2008)

Ellen Dissanayake points out the general reasons to why art is created. Dissanayake believes that art is made to not only “prevoke and manipulate emotional responses” but serves to “unite vast numbers of people.” It bonds people together and gives people the sensation of being a part of a special group or community. Art creates a sense of understanding amongst others. She compared a persons connection with art similar to the connection between a mother and child. They both evoke feelings of unification which serves to be essential for a human’s emotional well being.

Jacob Brokowski futher specifies the possibilities for the creation of the cave art. He believes that the art was created with “anticipation.” He felt that the art was created so that “the hunter was made familiar with dangers which he knew he had to face but to which he had not yet come.” The reasons for why cave art was created seemed therapeutic in both Brokowski and Dissanayake’s writings. I believe that art was created to unite people in many different ways. Either through sharing ideas for the future or by expressing yourself. It enables us to work together as we are now when trying to figure out its meaning.