Starting from Scratch: The Origin and Development of Expression, Representation and Symbolism in Human and Non-Human Primates

by Matthews; John

• ISBN13: 9781841696898
• ISBN10: 1841696897
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-03-15
• Publisher: Psychology Pres

Summary

This book compares the beginning of symbolic thought in human infancy with that of our close primate relatives, the chimpanzees. The author investigates the precursors of symbolism by studying the actions and interactions of a small group of these intelligent, non-human primates who live in Singapore Zoo. Drawing upon his years of detailed observations, Matthews offers an in-depth analysis and interpretation of chimp behaviour to present an unprecedented account of the beginnings of symbolic thought. The book shows that the actions the chimpanzees perform have structural and semantic similarities with the actions of emergent expression and representation we find in human infancy. Of great importance is the finding that chimpanzee mark-making activity is not an artefact of human interference, but part of chimpanzee culture. Young chimpanzees seem to be introduced to acts of pretence and imagination by older and more experienced ones and taught the rudiments of expression, representation and symbolism. The implications for our understanding of symbolism, language, art and education are enormous, as are those about our origins and our place within nature. The book is written in an accessible style for both specialist and non-specialist readers, and illustrated with the author'¬"s drawings and photographs.

Author Biography

John Matthews is an artist and educator. He has taught all age groups from nursery children to university level, at institutions including Goldsmiths Art School and Goldsmiths Faculty of Education at the University of London, and the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University; Singapore. His main research area has been early symbolism in very young children; more recently he has become involved in studying the precursors of symbolic thought in non-human primates.

Table of Contents

List of figures	p. ix
Foreword	p. xii
Introduction	p. xiv
Expression, representation and symbolism	p. 1
Genesis	p. 28
Spontaneously generated expressive structure	p. 40
Structural principles: Modification, variation and extension of First Generation Actions	p. 67
The meaning of the moving hand	p. 71
Directions and locations	p. 79
The end of the line	p. 90
Repetition and variation upon a structural theme	p. 107
The giving of meaning	p. 122
Sentences in the sky	p. 128
Point-of-arrival and moment-of-impact	p. 139
Helping hands	p. 151
Shape, form and symmetry	p. 160
Empathy and imagination	p. 179
Dialogue	p. 187
Dynamic-structure	p. 191
Continuous-rotation	p. 200
In a spin: Continuous-rotation continued	p. 208
Bottoms-up: Script-violation	p. 226
Rotation around an axis	p. 230
Rhythm	p. 238
A new kind of desire	p. 248
Deep structure	p. 252
The image	p. 258
Shapes of things to come	p. 268
The dynamic knot	p. 282
Drawing and writing	p. 296
Description	p. 304
The scratch	p. 311
Agon	p. 313
Dying slave	p. 316
Sack-cloth and ashes	p. 318
Ida draws	p. 341
Conclusion	p. 340
References	p. 356
Author Index	p. 363
Subject index	p. 366
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