Art Appreciation

Many years ago, a psychic told me that I had a native spirit guide who, during his lifetime here on earth, carved works of art out of stone; then, she added that his work was not appreciated. I assumed she meant an Inuit artist because those were the only stone carvings with which I was familiar. 

I never gave this episode another thought until I found myself in the fields of our family farm looking for stones. Could it be that I have had a hidden hand guiding me on this unexpected journey--a native artist who walked on this same piece of land before me? And if that's the case, why did it take me so many years to realize that these stones were there waiting to be discovered? When I reflect on that question, I realize that the advent of the internet was a crucial development.

If I'd stumbled across these stones prior to the internet, I would have contacted an archaeologist about my find (which I actually did), it would have been dismissed by the expert as being "just rocks" (which it was) and that would have been that. Any student of history will tell you that the concept of professionalization began in the 1800's as a way to create a monopoly on knowledge and exclude those on the outside. In other words, a group such as professional archaeologists became the official authorities on anything related to this subject; those of us on the outside of the profession were expected to defer to their expertise.

The internet has circumvented that process by disseminating information on many subjects including that of portable rock art. Considering I spend so much time walking in the fields, it seems appropriate that "to disseminate" means to spread as though sowing seed. Perhaps that's what I'm trying to do with this blog: plant the idea that prehistoric man left an indelible calling card and legacy in these incredible works of art here in Lambton County. I don't know when or by whose hands they were created, but if I were able to send a message back across time, I would tell these artists: I appreciate your work.

Here's another example of it...