Glossary

Esthetic art Art forms that are produced for recreational or pleasurable purposes or are perceived to possess recreational or pleasurable qualities or values. environmental art Art that demonstrates a relationship with nature. The setting for these works is often a mixture of natural or cultural elements of landscape.

Interpretive art In cultural heritage and archaeology

Interpretation, interpretive art is any art form used to explore the interpretive potential of cognitive imagery that cultural and archaeological information and objects can inspire. In this sense, it is used to help create opportunities for visitors to sites and exhibits to form their own intellectual and emotional connections to the meanings and significance of archaeological information and the people and events that created them. interpretive narrative archaeology A narrative approach in presenting and interpreting data being employed by an increasing number of archaeologists in the USA and worldwide. It is sometimes described as ‘story telling’, presented in the third person, and, less commonly, in the first person. Its goal is to make the results of archaeological research more relevant and

Meaningful to the members of the public in whose interest such work is undertaken. In other cases, it is a first person attempt to personalize, contextualize, and demystify the research process. More than just ‘telling the story’, interpretive narrative archaeology serves to place interpretation at the center of the archaeological endeavor.

Public art Art created in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being located or staged in the public domain, often in an outdoors and readily accessible setting. The term is also applied to art forms that are exhibited in a public space and publicly accessible buildings. Public art is not confined to physical objects in that art forms such as music, dance, and poetry have proponents that specialize in public art.

Utilitarian art Art forms that reflect the necessities of life.

History is a great deal closer to poetry than is generally realised: in truth, I think, it is in essence the same. (A. L. Rowse)

Only imagination fleshes out the sound and taste of time past, anchoring the flavor of lost moments in the welter of objects left behind. (Carmel Schrire, in Digging Through Darkness, Chronicles of an Archaeologist (1995))