Andean beliefs

The four most important and common Andean worldviews are: collectivity, reciprocity, transformation, and essence over appearance. The first feature, collectivity, means that they worked as a whole instead of as an individual. Rather than focusing on the actual artist, the concept was to focus more on the art. I think this is a great way of thinking because there is more power as a whole. The second feature, reciprocity, means that dualistic thinking was used. This includes opposites, pairs, and mirror images. This is also a great worldview, especially for the Andeans, because they had to work together to survive. The harsh environments made it a necessity to work together: giving and receiving. The third feature is transformation. The Andeans believed in transformation from one place to another or from one thing (creature) to another. This is seen in shamanism by transforming into other creatures and having a connection with both realms. This offered a dynamic form of art. The fourth feature, essence over appearance, directs the attention to the inner story or symbolism rather than actual appearance. Although we might not be able to visibly see or interpret a painting, it was the intention and purpose that makes the work so special.

The concept of "essence over appearance" has been very helpful as I look at more abstract art. Abstract art is hard for me to connect with because I try so hard to make sense of it, and most of the time I can't. Now that I know about this view, I can take a step back and just appreciate the art because the most important aspect is not the actual appearance, but the symbolism of the piece.