Bison, from La Madeleine near Dordogne. C. 15,000-10,000 B.C. Reindeer Antler. 

As I drive through Carson Valley, I take in the bucolic tranquility of the high desert nestled below the northern Sierra range. Cattle graze throughout most of the valley and on any given trip I will see some of them licking their flanks. This movement is so natural to the animal and intrinsic to the very nature of being a bovine. It reminds me of the above sculpture I first saw in art history class in college. I have always admired this piece of art for its pure expression and truth. Artists try to capture those glints of universal truths sometimes revealed during instances of time and express them in a manner unique to us as individuals. And man, this sculpture from the Paleolithic era nails that concept! I guarantee the next time you see an a cow in this pose, you will think of this work. The subtlety of expression in this piece of carved deer antler is what makes it inherently beautiful. It is also what is missing in so much or our popular culture.