Rock Art in Big Bend National Park: An Intuitive Exploration

An article on Glasstire explores ancient rock art in Big Bend National Park, Texas, challenging the assumption that art in West Texas began with Donald Judd. Two sites are highlighted: the Hot Springs Historic District along the Rio Grande, featuring red ochre pictographs estimated between 500 BCE and 1400 CE, and The Chimneys, 43 miles away, with petroglyphs dating from approximately 2000 BCE to 1500 CE. The works, created by unknown Indigenous artists, are vulnerable to weather and vandalism. The author, Amanda Holstien, advocates for a receptive, intuitive approach over intellectual analysis, drawing on animist worldviews and noting overlapping myths like the Thunderbird among tribes including the Chisos, Jumanos, Mescalero Apaches, and Comanches. The article contrasts Western rationalist traditions with Indigenous perspectives, emphasizing context and felt experience.