The stuff that dreams are remade of

• Butter sculpting


  The tradition of using butter as a sculpting material, particularly associated with the Renaissance and Baroque periods
• The earliest recorded reference to butter art dates back to 1536, where Bartolomeo Scappi, the cook of Pope Pius V, created a variety of sculptures using this medium
• Caroline Shawk Brooks


  • An American sculptor born in 1840, gained prominence for her butter sculptures
  • She regularly employed traditional tools such as butter paddles, broom straws, and a "camel's-hair pencil," rather than "lazier" molds and shapes, allowing her to craft extremely detailed sculptures
• Caroline Shawk Brooks' butter sculptures

  • "Dreaming Iolanthe" (1873)
  • Bas-relief of Iolanthe (1876)
  • Full-sized sculpture of Iolanthe (1878)
• After studying art in Paris and Florence, Brooks transitioned to using marble as her primary medium, but continued to incorporate butter into her creations on occasion
• John Karl Daniels


  • A Norwegian-American butter sculptor whose creations were featured in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 and the Minnesota State Fair in 1910
• Erika Iris Simmons' art

  • She works with unconventional materials such as old books, cassette tapes, cards, and magazines
  • Her preference for using older, past-their-prime materials brings a sense of nostalgia and perhaps themes of renewal, suggesting that even when past its good point, something still matters
• Erika Iris Simmons' "Ghost in the Machine" series


  • Portrays famous celebrities using the magnetic ribbons from cassette tapes, such as Marilyn Monroe, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Robert De Niro
• Erika Iris Simmons' choice of tape


  • Actors are represented with film tape, while songwriters and composers are brought to life using audio tapes
  • This clever use of different tape mediums adds layers of meaning to her artworks, emphasizing the connection between material and artist
• Erika Iris Simmons' ability to transform discarded materials into works of art not only showcases her artistic talent but also allows viewers to reconsider the value and potential of items that have surpassed their usage
• "MISSA (1992-2012)"


  A striking piece that consists of 100 pairs of army boots, created using mono-filament and a metal grid, part of the Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal collection
• The title "MISSA"


  Has Latin origins, meaning "to be sent", and also serves as the origin for the word "mass"
• "MISSA"


  • The arrangement of the 100 pairs of army boots is meticulously uniform, with all the right shoes lifted in unison
  • This positioning may carry connotations of the mindlessness and treachery often associated with war
  • The artwork seems to treat the soldiers as identical entities, emphasizing their sameness and perhaps portraying them as puppets serving a totalitarian regime
  • The careful arrangement of the boots evokes a sense of order, prompting a viewer's reflection on the dehumanizing and solemn aspects of war
• The negative spaces in the composition of "MISSA"


  Contribute to the ominous feeling, creating a mood that suggests a historical context of war and conflict
• The eerie quality of "MISSA" invites viewers to engage with the artwork on a deeper level, encouraging newfound reflection on the past and its history of the dehumanizing aspects of war
• The reconstruction of ancient arts has experienced a leap with the usage of new technologies, revealing previously unseen details and artworks from the past
• Notable examples of ancient art discoveries

  • Digital analysis of rock surfaces, uncovering ancient art dating back over 2000 years in a low-ceiling cave in Alabama
  • Engraved Bison revealed using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) in El Castillo, Spain
  • Obscured paintings uncovered using infrared frequency light technology, similar to that used in full-body scanners for airport security
• Photogrammetry


  A technique involving thousands of photos digitally combined in 3D to "lower" the ground and provide a better view of the paintings in the Alabama cave
• Radiocarbon dating placed the artworks in the Alabama cave depicting human and animal forms between 133-433 AD, believed to represent spirits of the underworld, a significant aspect of the Indigenous culture
• The earliest rock art found is at least 64,000 years old, but we likely know only a small percentage of total rock art, as pigments can disappear, and rock arts may crumble over time
• Leang Timpuseng Cave, Sulawesi, Indonesia


  The cave paintings within it are among the oldest recorded in the world, dating back to an astonishing 37,900 BC, making it the second oldest in the world, just behind the El Castillo paintings dating to 39,000 BC
• The dating of the Leang Timpuseng Cave paintings utilized Uranium and Thorium techniques applied to overlaying calcite and mineral deposits within the cave
• The Leang Timpuseng Cave paintings were not created by Homo Erectus but by the modern Homo Sapiens, likely Aboriginal migrants on their way to Australia
• The significance of the Leang Timpuseng Cave paintings

  • They challenge the belief that humans lacked art skills before leaving Africa, and the clash between modern humans and Neanderthals in Europe around 40,000 BC was thought to have created a major cognitive advance
  • The evidence of prehistoric art in Sulawesi, supported by new discoveries in South Africa, hints at arts which might extend to Aboriginal art in Australia - yet, none have been found to support the extension yet
• Charles Darwin's journey aboard the HMS Beagle marked a critical moment in the history of science, laying the foundation for the theory of evolution
• Charles Darwin's observations on the Galapagos Islands


  Particularly his study of the diverse finches inhabiting the region, played a crucial role in the formulation of his theory of evolution
• Upon returning to England in 1836, Darwin collaborated with John Gould to examine the collected specimens, and Gould identified the 14 birds as different species, with 12 being entirely new
• Darwin's observations of the finches and their unique adaptations


  Especially in relation to their beaks, became a key piece of evidence supporting the theory of evolution
• Charles Darwin did not formulate the theory of evolution during his voyage, but gathered the evidence and insights that would later contribute to it
• Lascaux IV


  A near-perfect replica of the Lascaux caves in Southern France, created to preserve the ancient artworks after the original caves were sealed off in 1963 due to potential damage from visitors
• Over 600 paintings and 1000 engravings, created over 20,000 years ago, are replicated within Lascaux IV
• The original Lascaux caves' durability


  Was due to specific conditions, including a lack of temperature changes, a dry environment, and the layer of clay in the soil that made the cave air and water tight, as well as the absence of stalactites or stalagmites
• Lascaux IV, known as the third and most costly attempt to replicate the famous cave, is precise to 3mm thanks to 3D digital scanning
• In 1908, engineer E.S. Wheeler entertained the idea of building a pyramid in Detroit, showcasing a comedic, unserious take on the requirements for such a project
• Wheeler suggested that the construction of the pyramid would require 24 million days of work, and if one-fifth of the population could contribute to the project, involving 16 million people, the pyramid could theoretically be built in just a day and a half
• The proposed location for the pyramid was a 12-acre site in Detroit, specifically in Cadillac's village
• Wheeler estimated the cost of constructing the pyramid to be almost 1 billion in today's money
• Wheeler expressed optimism about the speed and vast resources available in America
• The paper included supposed facts and figures to support the idea
• Wheeler suggested that the construction would require 24 million days of work