Seminar & Workshop with Ron Athey
February 13-16 (Friday-Monday)
Sponsored by UCR Sweeney Art Gallery
To apply, please send a c.v. and a short personal essay to
Jennifer Doyle at: jennifer.doyle@ucr.edu.
Deadline to apply: January 23 
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 farther. The body of this marble sculpture is very natural in the way that the arms are lying above the head, the back is arched, ribs 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.
From the December 8, 2008 issue of The Breeze:
Construction leftovers, or is it just great art?
by Jennifer KillianIt has been confirmed that the large metal object in front of the Student Services and Administration building is not left over from recent construction, but rather a modern sculpture by artist Simi Dabah.
Simi Dabah is a southern California based artist who has been working with scrap metal for more than 30 years. He has worked in diverse media, but his zeal lies in creating his welded steel sculptures. His artworks range from 6 inches to 32 feet in height and are displayed in many different areas of the region.
The metal used in Dabah's work is left unfinished to allow the surface to rust. He allows nature to take its course to give it the rusted color. He also does not name his works of art because he wants the viewer to make his or her own interpretation on his work.
The sculptures are not easy to find around campus unless looking specifically for them. They seem to blend in, especially the one in front of the Administration building. The height and earth-toned color of the sculpture fits perfectly with the surrounding trees.
Dabah has generously donated four of his statues to the college for the enjoyment and enlightenment of the campus community.
In addition to the 20-foot tall sculpture discussed here, there are three smaller works located in the new science complex near Zimmermann Hall.
Everyone should take a closer look at these sculptures with an open mind.
My Art 3 students might remember our discussion early in the semester about the ritual site of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. The first structures at Göbekli Tepe were built as early as 9,000-10,000 BCE. A new article is the cover story of the current issue of Archaeology magazine (Volume 61 Number 6, November/December 2008).
The oldest man-made place of worship yet discovered, Göbekli Tepe is "one of the most important monuments in the world," says Hassan Karabulut, associate curator of the nearby Urfa Museum.
You can read the article here.
Please join us at the Wignall Museum to view the
Winter Student Exhibition 08 (WSE 08)
featuring the work of hundreds of current students from
Ceramics, Digital Media, Art and Photography.
WSE 08 exhibition opens Thursday, December 4
and runs through Thursday, December 11, 2008.
Join us for a reception in honor of WSE 08 on
Wednesday, December 10 from 12:30-1:30pm
Light refreshments will be served.
This event and the exhibition is free.
Wignall Museum hours:
M, Th and F – 10am-4pm
T and W – noon-8pm
Sat- noon-4pm
And on the patio:
Ceramics Club Sale
Tuesday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 10 from 11am-5pm
Support this student group and take the opportunity to purchase holiday gifts for your loved ones!
In my previous posting "Having Fun Exploring Yucatan" there is a picture of my husband in which you can see some of his tattoos. Well, his tattoos were done by a talented guy named Goethe. Goethe works in a studio in Upland, California but is originally from Durango, Mexico. He not only does tattoo's but also detailed pencil drawings like this one.
It was fun to see images in class that I have seen before as a tattoo. It's nice to know what the image is about and to understand it more. Take for example, the idea of duality, I had seen it in many of Goethe's images and thought it looked pretty cool. I now know what it means and can better appreciate the image.
I personally don't have any tattoos. I like them and I like how they look, they're works of art, it's just not for me. I can't imagine having something on my body that I can't take off, oh yeah, and the fact that it really hurts! Here's a picture of my husband trying to act like it's not that bad. OUCH!
