Resumen

CABELLO, Gloria. FROM FACES TO COMPOSITIONAL SPACE: A STYLISTIC PROPOSAL FOR THE CHALINGA VALLEY, CHILE. Chungará (Arica) [online]. 2011, vol.43, n.1, pp. 25-36. ISSN 0717-7356.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-73562011000100002.

This article presents a study of rock art from the Chalinga valley in Chile focusing on a set of motifs similar to the famous masks of the Limarí style. Moving from the suggestive concept of "mask" to that of "framed figures", we consider the rock art motifs as compositional spaces within which elements are combined according to specific rules of design. These combinations are studied both statistically and in terms of symmetry in order to propose a design sequence, which -in conjunction with other independent archaeological data- allow us to discuss the development of Chalinga’s rock art vis-a-vis the Limarí style and its relation with the populations from Early Ceramic and Diaguita Periods present in this area.

Palabras llave : Style; motif; framed figures; compositional space; design sequence.