118th Egyptian pyramid discovered:
Egypt's chief archaeologist has announced the discovery of a 4,300-year-old pyramid in Saqqara, the sprawling necropolis and burial site of the rulers of ancient Memphis.
The pyramid is said to belong to Queen Sesheshet, the mother of King Teti who was the founder of the 6th Dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom.
This is a sculpture called, "The Death of Abel," dating back to only 1853. This surprised me, because I thought it would have dated back father. The body of this marble sculpture is very natural in the way that the arms are lying above the head, the back is arched, rubs are showing, and there is some expression on the face; an expression of agony is what it looks like to me. This is a step forward from many other pieces of art from the Greek and Roman sculptures that are usually always standing up straight. I shouldn't say always, but it seems that most pieces of humans were.
I loved this sculpture for the emotions that it captivates. I can almost see the story un-fold in front of my eyes as I stood there and looked at it. Although this is a moment of death (as I can recall), this pose is also some what erotic to me. Even the expressions on the face can be viewed as some what sexual. This is interesting, because it can give the viewer the impression of a sexual situation if one does not read about it. I like that though. It leaves your mind up to the imagination. Make of this what you will.
I recently was at the LACMA (LA County Museum of Art), and saw this beautiful sculpture of Cupid (also known as Eros). It was made of marble with bronze metal work; the sash, belt and arrows.
There were even jewels that were worked into the belt. Cupid is known as a Greek/Roman deity, and is known as the God of love. Cupid is also the son of the of Venus (also known as Aphrodite)and was sometimes seen in sculptures with Venus.
I love the detail and intricacy that was put into this sculpture. The metal work is beautiful. Especially in the wings and sash. I love how the sash flows along Cupids body. The marble is also very unique in the sense that it has imperfections, it is not just solid white, there are some lines of gray that run through it. This was one of my favorite pieces that I saw that day.
Patrons of the arts come in many forms and play an important role in contributing to artistic innovation and appreciation. A patron may provide financial assistance or can just be a spectator who likes to view their favorite works.
A government sponsor can also be a patron where civic sponsorship of art dates back even to ancient times such as Egypt during the 4th dynasty 2613-2494 BCE. The 4th dynasty kings were huge contributors to massive projects like the famous pyramids, the sphinx, and various other monumental projects.
Today, museums and art institutions like the New York foundation for the Arts (http://www.nyfa.org/) provide large grants to various organizations and individuals as part of an initiative to support aspiring artists. Artists may also find patrons by displaying them at special stores like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Gift store. A particular collection that I found interesting there was a specially shaped glass bowl with luminous colors by Robin Provart Kelly, who studied with famous artists at the internationally renowned Pilchuck School of Glass. The glass bowl was displayed for art but could also be purchased to further support her artistic endeavors. Her biography impressively stated that she had 18 more pieces in a series called "New Paradigms" on permanent solo exhibition at Mount Fuji, Japan.
The world of art is priceless and conceivably beyond measure, yet in some cases a price tag does exist and may perhaps be used as an important patron act of benefiting the sponsored artist and their art. Unknowingly, society may be purchasing everyday items like furniture, desks, lamps, and vases and acting as a patron to those works. Throughout much of history, artists have speculatively created works for commercial purposes and resulted in attracting patrons and institutions, which still influence art today (Stokstad, xxxvii).
Artist Damien Hirst is the art director of a new music video starring actress Sienna Miller. The song, See the Light, is by the English band The Hours. You may recognize some of the Hirst-inspired scenes in the video.
The Hours - See The Light
The painting above is one of my favorite works by Marie-Denise Villers in 1801. This painting makes me feel calm whenever I take a close look at it. Her eyes are trying to tell us something about herself. Marie-Denise Villers was born in Paris, in 1774. Her first exibition was made at the Paris Salon in the year 1799 where she received many praises and to this day, still is praised.
Information collected from:http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/european_paintings/young_woman_drawing_marie_denise_villers/objectview.aspx?collID=11&OID=110002356
Join Chaffey College Art an Art History faculty and their students on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at noon for a presentation on the work of Louise Bourgeois at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles on Grand Avenue. 
Presented by the Chaffey College Art History program
Introductory remarks by Professor Orville Clarke
Friday, November 21 at 6:00 PM, Wargin Hall 142
Dirty Pictures (2000) – Rated R
*The movie contains some graphic photographic images*
Starring: James Woods, Craig T. Nelson and Diana Scarwin
With appearances by: Rep. Barney Frank, William F. Buckley, Salman Rushdie and Robert Mapplethorpe
This movie is a dramatization of the controversy and trial surrounding the Robert Mapplethorpe photographic exhibition, The Perfect Moment, in Cincinnati in 1990. The outcome of that trial is still being debated today. It is a powerful exploration of censorship in the world of art.
All are welcome.
Yesterday I visited Yoko Ono's Wish Trees for Pasadena. The interactive art installation has been on display since August 2. Visitors have been writing their wishes on pieces of paper and hanging them on the tree branches. The wishes will be "harvested" today and sent to Yoko Ono, to be joined with others from around the world. Later, they will be placed in specially constructed capsules in the area surrounding Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower dedicated to the memory of John Lennon on Videy Island, off the coast of ReykjavÌk, Iceland.
You can send your wishes to the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER here.
Tokyo Tower is located in Minato-uu, Tokyo, Japan and is the world's highest self-supporting iron tower. The structure of the tower is originally based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and is 333 meters tall, making it just 6 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Tokyo is a well known tourist spot and is also one of the most crowded city. Because the tower is located in the middle of the city, from the top floor, visitors can have a 360 degree view of the entire Kanto region that surrounds Tokyo as well as Mt. Tsubuka and Mt. Fuji.
Tokyo Tower was built as a symbol for it's beginning of an economic power in the year of 1958.I have visited the tower when I was seven years old with my family. We took the train from Narita,Japan, and reached our destination within an hour. There are many other beautiful places to visit near the tower. There is a lake there that almost looks like the garden sculpture lake at the Getty Center Museum. Hundreds of people walk on the streets near the tower and it feels very nice because of the green views we can actually breathe in the fresh air
