Alex Manea 

TEXT:

 

   Throughout the annals of art history, the human hand has been both the primary instrument of artistic creation and a pivotal subject of representation. This dual role highlights the evolution of artistic skill and the cultural significance of key historical periods.

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   Remarkably, painted hands may constitute the earliest known form of art. Among the most compelling examples are the stenciled hands found in Argentina's Cueva de las Manos, or "Cave of Hands." As noted by the UNESCO World Heritage Center, the earliest of these paintings date back approximately 13,000 years, with the most recent around 9,500 years ago.

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   Delving even further into our past, a hand stencil discovered in the caves of Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been dated to approximately 40,000 years ago. This discovery underscores the notion that the depiction of hands was among the initial artistic endeavors of Homo sapiens.

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   For millennia, images of hands remained predominantly flat and stylized, as seen in the art of Ancient Greece and medieval Europe. The primal urge to leave an imprint of one's hand on a surface persists even today, echoing the ancient traditions of our ancestors.

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   This series seeks to recreate various techniques employed over the centuries, illustrating the enduring significance of the hand motif in art. Though the methodologies may have evolved, the fundamental artistic impulse remains unchanged.