| | First Images of the Interior of Teotihuacan Tunnel Captured by Camera on Small Robot
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Robot-car Tlaloque I enters the tunnel located below the Temple of the Feathered Serpent Temple. Photo: Melitón Tapia/INAH.
MEXICO CITY.- The first images of the interior of the tunnel found under the Feathered Serpent Temple, in Teotihuacan, captured by a small robot introduced by archaeologists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), were presented to the media due to the relevance of the event in the history of Mexican archaeological research. This is the first time a robot is integrated to archaeological exploration in Mexico; a similar devise was used in Egypt 10 years ago to explore a tomb. Tlaloque 1, named after the mythological beings that helped Tlaloc, covered the first stretch of a tunnel that has not been walked for 1,800 years. Images reveal that the passageway built more than 2,000 years ago to represent the underworld, is stable enough to be explored by archaeologists soon. During the presentation of the images to communication media representatives, the INAH national coordinator of Archaeology, Salvador Gui ... More |
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Sotheby's to Offer the Rochefoucauld Grail: Witness of the Legend of King Arthur
The Rochefoucauld Grail, in French, illuminated manuscript on vellum, c.1315-23. Lancelot about to behead Melyagans. Estimate: £1,500,000–2,000,000. Photo: Sotheby's.
LONDON.- It is the greatest romance of chivalry produced in the Middle Ages, and its themes of friendship, treachery, ambition, achievement and star-crossed tragic lovers form the foundations of much of our modern literature. The stories of the quest for the Holy Grail, of the Lady of the Lake, of King Arthur and his court at Camelot, and of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere, captured the imaginations of generations to come, and have inspired some of the best-selling novels of our time. The Rochefoucauld Grail is from the 14th century, and on a scale which is as impressive as the text: some 200 cows would have been needed to produce the vellum sheets that make up the three monumental volumes, the whole embellished with some 107 jewel like illuminated illustrations – each one a work of art in its own right. Dr Timothy Bolton, specialist in charge of the sale at Sotheby’s, said: “This is one of the principal manus ... More | | London's Natural History Museum Urged to Stay Out of Isolated Latam Area
A scientist studies plants at the Botanical Specimen Preparation room inside the Cocoon building at the Darwin Center. EPA/ANDY RAIN.
By Anna Yukhananov
LONDON (REUTERS)- Campaigners have urged London's Natural History Museum to halt a botanical research expedition to a remote area in Paraguay, warning it would be "like genocide" for isolated indigenous groups in the region. Museum staff and scientists from Paraguay are due to set off this week, hoping to find new species in the little-explored forests of the Dry Chaco. But indigenous peoples' protection groups say the expedition could run into natives who live in the territory, disturbing their way of life and infecting them with potentially fatal diseases. Benno Glauser, director of the Paraguay-based protection group Iniciativa Amotocodie, wrote to the museum, saying its month-long trip would intrude into the territory of Ayoreo Indians who have never had contact with the outside world. He included a statement from Ayoreo leaders who live in a town ... More | | Spoils of Bernard Madoff's Lavish Life on Auction Block at a Manhattan Hotel this Saturday
A pair of monogrammed slippers belonging to Bernard Madoff are seen during a media preview of the U.S. Marshals Service 'Madoff II Auction'. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi.
By: Verena Dobnik, Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP).- Jailed financier Bernard Madoff led a lavish lifestyle until his downfall. The disgraced financier left homes filled with luxury goods — and everyday items like underwear, slippers and T-shirts, all monogrammed to fit his ego. Thousands of belongings from the New York City penthouse Madoff shared with his wife are headed for auction at a Manhattan hotel this Saturday. Federal marshals staged a preview Wednesday of items seized from the apartment and the Madoffs' Long Island beachhouse — from bed linens, clothing, cookware and luggage to intimate items like used socks, cuticle scissors and even bottles of shampoo. There also were artworks, more than a dozen luxury watches, and antique furniture. "And he loved shoes and spent a lot of money on 250 pairs — some never worn," said auctioneer Bob ... More |
 | International Shortlist for the Third Prix Pictet, World’s Leading Prize in Photography, Announced
Edward Burtynsky, Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Centre (AMARC), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona, 2006.
LONDON.- The shortlist for the Third Prix Pictet, the world’s leading prize in photography and sustainability, is announced today. The theme for this year’s edition is Growth. The shortlisted artists are: Christian Als (Denmark) Edward Burtynsky (Canada) Stéphane Couturier (France) Mitch Epstein (US) Chris Jordan (US) Yeondoo Jung (Korea) Vera Lutter (Germany) Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso) Taryn Simon (US) Thomas Struth (Germany) Guy Tillim (South Africa) Michael Wolf (Germany) The winner will be announced by HE Kofi Annan at the award ceremony in Paris on Thursday 17 March 2011. A preview of the shortlisted photographers' works is on show in an exhibition at Galerie Filles du Calvaire, Paris, until 29 November 2010. The shortlist was chosen by an independent jury from submissions by over 450 photographers from five continents, put forward by the Prix Pictet worldwide network ... More | | Spectacular Tiffany, Frank Lloyd Wright Windows Lead Luxe Array of Fine Art at Morphy's
Tiffany Studios stained-glass window authenticated by Dr. Egon Neustadt, 43 inches by 72 inches. Estimate $125,000-$200,000. Morphy Auctions image.
DENVER, PA.- This year collectors of fine and decorative art won’t have to wait till Christmas to see their wish lists fulfilled. For the opening session of its Dec. 10-11, 2010 sale, Dan Morphy Auctions has brought together a superb selection of artworks from private collections and individual consignors that even the fussiest connoisseur would consider topnotch. A breathtaking Tiffany Studios stained-glass window featuring a lush garden scene with trees, ivy, vines and roses adds the ultimate “wow” factor to the sale. The framed 43- by 72-inch creation, which depicts two massive columns, a winding path and an urn-topped wall, has been authenticated through expert research over a 20-year period by the premier authority on Tiffany, Dr. Egon Neustadt. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity, it is entered in the sale with a $125,000-$200,000 estimate. In total, 20 stained-glass windows will be offered. ... More | | Chinese Emperor's Personal White Jade Dragon Seal Sells for £2.7 Million at Bonhams
This iconic Chinese object, a small exquisite work of art, created huge interest before the sale in Europe and as well as China. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- A stunning piece of China’s Imperial history – a seal personally commissioned and used by the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799) – sold for £2,708,000 at Bonhams Sale of Fine Chinese Art on November 11th in London. The perfect four centimetre square jade seal bearing the inscription `Zi Qiang Bu Xi’, (‘Self-Strengthening Never Ceases’) is closely linked to the Emperor’s 80th birthday celebration which coincided with the 55th year of his reign and is an iconic reminder of China’s golden age. Thanks to impeccable record keeping it is possible to date the commissioning and final delivery of this Imperial seal to 1793. Strangely enough the date 1793 coincides with the birth of Bonhams half a world away, also in 1793. Few would then have thought that Bonhams and the Qianlong Emperor’s story would meet in London over a small perfect piece of carved jade, some 217 years later. This icon ... More |
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Photographer Mick Rock's Images that Defined Rock n' Roll on View at Idea Generation Gallery
Queen II © Mick Rock. Photocopyright Mick Rock 2010.
LONDON.- Celebrated as ‘The Man Who Shot the 70s’, Mick Rock’s images define rock n’ roll. Rock launched his career in 1972 with his portrait of an unknown David Bowie and spent the next four decades capturing the most fascinating and exciting characters in rock music. This outstanding exhibition will coincide with the publication of Rock’s new book Exposed: the Faces of Rock n’ Roll, which includes previously unseen and unpublished images, as well as rare and unexpected portraits. Mick Rock's images are gritty, sexy & mesmerizing. Always drawn to extreme performances, and defiant, rebellious artists, his unusual portraits encapsulated the dawning of an era, and continued to recreate it in succeeding decades through his work with underground musicians of the 1980s, 1990s and into the new millennium This retrospective exhibition is a journey through an exceptional career as well as musical history. He lived the life as well as documented it. Always i ... More | | London Exhibition at Wellcome Collection Examines Centuries of Drug History
Artist Seth Kirby arranges items in 'The Joshua Light Show' an exhibit by Joshua White and Seth Kirby, on display in the High Society exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth.
By: Alia Gilbert, Associated Press
LONDON (AP).- So you think drug culture began at Woodstock the 1960s? Think again. A massive bong statue spanning the length of a room, the laudanum-induced 'Kubla Khan' manuscript and psychedelic videos in a riot of color await those curious enough to learn about 3,500 years' worth of human drug use. "High Society," an exhibition opening Thursday at London's Wellcome Collection museum, examines the controversial history of opium, from pre-biblical practices to today's entire illegal drug market, which is worth an estimated $320 billion per year, according to the United Nations. The multimedia extravaganza features over 200 artifacts, ranging from dope-inspired paintings and documents, to documentaries ... More | | Masters of Photography Featured in Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand at Metropolitan Museum
Edward Steichen, The Flatiron, 1904. Gum bichromate over platinum print, 47.8 x 38.4 cm (18 13/16 x 15 1/8 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alfred Stieglitz Collection, 1933 (33.43.43).
NEW YORK, NY.- Three giants of 20th-century American photography—Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Paul Strand—are featured at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, through April 10, 2011, in the exhibition Stieglitz, Steichen, Strand. The diverse and groundbreaking work of these artists will be revealed through a presentation of 115 photographs, drawn entirely from the Museum's collection. On view will be many of the Metropolitan's greatest photographic treasures from the 1900s to 1920s, including Stieglitz's famous portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe, Steichen's large colored photographs of the Flatiron building, and Strand's pioneering abstractions. Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) was a photographer of supreme accomplishment and a forceful and influential advocate for photography ... More |
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Trunk Tells of the Leaving of Liverpool; New Acquisition a Reminder of Child Migrant Story
William Kelly, circa 1925
LIVERPOOL.- It’s just a tiny trunk but for orphaned William Kelly, 15, it contained his whole world: some clothes, boots, handkerchiefs, needle, thread and a bible. In 1925 William was sent from Liverpool aboard SS Athenia to a new life in Canada. The trunk was typical of those given to child migrants who left their homes, families and friends forever. Liverpool is linking up with Australia to tell the emotional story of child and youth migration. And the small trunk belonging to William has now gone on show at Merseyside Maritime Museum. From 1860 until the 1960s migration schemes saw youngsters and teenagers separated from families and sent to the ends of the earth to begin new lives. Many were orphaned or had come from poor families who could no longer look after them and it was felt Australia and Canada provided better opportunities and a standard of life. Children sailed from Liverpool, Glasgow, London and Southampton. While many found happiness, others suffered abuse ... More | | Nottingham Contemporary's First Year a Complete Success with Record Visitor Figures
Nearly 300,000 people – 290,000 - have visited the gallery in its first year, a 45% increase on the projected figure of 200,000. Photo: Helene Binet.
NOTTINGHAM.- Nottingham Contemporary will celebrate its first anniversary on Sunday 14 November 2010. Nottingham Contemporary is widely regarded as one of the most exciting galleries in the country, in or out of London - with a large local audience and a strong involvement with the concerns of its home city. Nearly 300,000 people – 290,000 - have visited the gallery in its first year, a 45% increase on the projected figure of 200,000. There have been over 36,000 participants in its educational activities. The gallery has contributed £8.7 million to the local economy in its first year, according to analysts. The gallery, housed in an iconic green and gold lace patterned building designed by Caruso St John in the city’s historic Lace Market, has generated enthusiasm from the art world and the general public alike. ... More | | Ancient Tablets Reveal Mathematical Achievements of Ancient Babylonian Culture
Old Babylonian “hand tablet” illustrating Pythagoras’ Theorem and an approximation of the square root of two. Clay, 19th-17th century BCE. Yale Babylonian Collection YBC 7289. Photo: West Semitic Research.
NEW YORK, NY.- An illuminating exhibition of thirteen ancient Babylonian tablets, along with supplemental documentary material, opens at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) on November 12, 2010. Before Pythagoras: The Culture of Old Babylonian Mathematics reveals the highly sophisticated mathematical practice and education that flourished in Babylonia—present-day Iraq—more than 1,000 years before the time of the Greek sages Thales and Pythagoras, with whom mathematics is traditionally said to have begun. The tablets in the exhibition, at once beautiful and enlightening, date from the Old Babylonian Period (ca. 1900–1700 BCE). They have been assembled from three important collections: the Columbia Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia ... More |
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Exciting, Cutting-Edge Contemporary Video Installations at Philbrook Museum of Art
TULSA, OK.- Philbrook Museum of Art presents an exciting, cutting-edge contemporary exhibition entitled Adaptation: Video Installations by Guy Ben-Ner, Arturo Herrera, Catherine Sullivan and Eve Sussman & The Rufus Corporation. Organized by the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art, this touring exhibition features five works by four artists, all of whom adapt—with varying degrees of fidelity—elements of pre-existing art, literature, film, and popular culture into uniquely new video installations. The exhibition will run through January 9, 2011. All have transformed source material to make new works of art by re-envisioning classic literature, film, ballet, painting – even e-mail. Rather than simply referencing or borrowing from the originals, these artists delve into their sources while also introducing new layers of imagery and meaning. The resulting “adaptations” are far from faithful, ... More
Hattie McDaniel's Personal Presentation Script from 'Gone with the Wind' on the Auction Block
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams & Butterfields' Entertainment Memorabilia auction on December 13, 2010 in Los Angeles will feature a wide variety of items related to Hollywood, Rock 'n Roll and Animation Art, including one of our star lots -- Hattie McDaniel's personally-owned 'presentation copy' script from "Gone With The Wind." Gifted to McDaniel by the movie's producer, David O. Selznick, after filming was complete on the 1939 classic, he inscribed the inside: "for Hattie McDaniel, / who contributed / so greatly! / with gratitude / and admiration, / David O/ Selznick / Xmas, 1939." Estimated to bring $10,000 to $15,000, this script is an important piece of Hollywood history as McDaniel won a 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role' Oscar® for her portrayal of 'Mammy' in this film -- the first African American to be nominated for and to win an Academy Award®. Additional highlights for the sale will be announced in mid-November. The ... More
Acclaimed Pop Artist Romero Britto and American Hero Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Launch an Artistic Vision for Reaching Mars
NEW YORK, NY.- On November 11, 2010, Veteran's Day, Romero Britto and Buzz Aldrin will launch a new endeavor at POP International Galleries in Soho, New York at an invitation-only gallery opening. The National hero, astronaut, and visionary Buzz Aldrin, served as inspiration for Pop Artist Romero Britto to create a series of original art on canvas that reflects on the achievements of NASA, and the global future of space exploration. This group of artwork is intended to bring awareness to the importance of a sustained mission to reach for new frontiers while also bringing support for an organization close to both Britto and Aldrin's hearts, the USO. The exhibition will include 18 new works of art on canvas and new limited editions. Both Romero Britto and Buzz Aldrin will be in attendance for photos and to sign purchased artwork. Coinciding with Veteran's Day, POP International is donating 10% of sales of the Britto Buzz originals and graphics on opening night to the USO, a pr ... More
United Kingdom Government Art Reveals Ministers' Nostalgic Tastes
LONDON (AP).- It's a tricky question for a British politician — which of the government's thousands of pieces of art do you put on your wall? When it comes to paintings, members of Britain's Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition favor landscapes, battle scenes and portraits of their illustrious predecessors. The government art collection holds more than 13,000 works by British artists from the 16th century onwards, including pieces by Hans Holbein, John Constable and J.M.W. Turner. Many are in storage, while others adorn government buildings and British embassies. A lawmaker has published a complete list of works that ministers have chosen from the government's vast art collection to hang in their offices. Obtained by opposition Labour Party legislator Tom Watson under freedom of information legislation, it show that the new government has more conservative tastes than those of the previous Labour administration, which championed conceptual "Young British Artists" like Tracey ... More
Ashwellthorpe Triptych to Go on Show at Norwich Cathedral
LONDON.- A full size photographic replica of the celebrated Ashwellthorpe Triptych has been commissioned by the Norfolk Branch of the Art Fund for All Saints Church in Ashwellthorpe, South Norfolk. Back in 1983, The Art Fund helped Norwich Castle Museum to buy a magnificent Flemish altarpiece – the Ashwellthorpe Triptych – depicting the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. Commissioned by the Knyvett family of Ashwellthorpe in around 1520, it is the earliest known painting commissioned by a Norfolk family from a Flemish artist. Fast forward to 2010 and a full size photographic replica of the celebrated Triptych has been commissioned by the Norfolk Branch of the Art Fund for All Saints Church in Ashwellthorpe, South Norfolk. The work, which The Art Fund gave £500 towards, will be on display at Norwich Cathedral between 6 and 29 December 2010 before heading to its new permanent home at the Church in Ashwellthorpe, where i ... More
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