Embracing Challenges

"Momentum," a light and sound show at The Curve, an art space at the Barbican Center in London.
Galleries are creating unconventional  spaces to showcase unusual exhibits. Credit James Medcraft/Barbican 

What is an "unconventional" space? In the gallery world, unconventional usually means non-rectangular. Take a look at the space at Barbican, London. This area shown above was deemed a concourse (think airport) non-site yet it has become the hub of installations of late. Artists are drawn to the unusual space and take advantage of it. A former challenge is now embraced.

Here's a photo of the lavish interior of the Guggenheim.
I took this photograph last Winter at the Gutai exhibition.

Exterior of the Guggenheim, New York

An unconventional space that might be a bit more familiar comes from our art history survey textbooks...Frank Lloyd Wright's structure for the space that would become known as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on New York's Upper East Side. Think of the Guggenheim as one piece of bread and the Met as the other—the slices of architecture embrace the natural environment of Central Park.

When it opened in 1959, the Guggenheim was deemed an eyesore because it was considered a work of (applied) art that could perhaps detract from the real art on view. Like the Barbican's space, the Guggenheim presented installation challenges — how to hang in a space that lacks 90-degree angles. But now, this New York gem is a coveted space for artists to use. Truly, artists of the modern and contemporary eras have risen to the challenge and embraced such overbearing structures and, as a result, have activated spaces in new ways.

Perhaps in a very short while, London's Barbican will become the kind of cultural icon that Solomon R.'s building has become.

#museumselfie day

So, apparently, yesterday was #museumselfie day and I'm actually kind of sad we missed out. This day was organized by Mar Dixon, a museum social media guru and Culture Themes to raise awareness of all the AMAZING collections both large and small all over the world. Check out some of these images and let us know if we should participate next year... or MAKE OUR OWN!

Jay-Z got into his best Warhol

And my own...

Checkout more of galleries here.

Learning in London

The "Great Exhibitions" course has been exploring what constitutes a museum, an exhibition, and a collection. Today (New Year's Day) we travelled to the Imperial War Museum, which will close on January 6 for 6 months in order to prepare for the Centenary exhibits. Tomorrow, we're headed to John Soane's Museum.  More soon...for now: a few pictures!

Students gathered outside the Tower Bridge—
before we encountered the onslaught of tourists at the White Tower.

In Defense of Art: Feel like writing a letter to The Times?

Wendy MacNaughton

I rarely repost content from other sites but, due to the imposing deadline for replies, have decided to do so (from Real Clear Arts.)

"This is your chance, and it may be your best chance, to make the case for art museums. Right now, online, The New York Times has invited a dialogue with readers that will run in Sunday’s Review section. You must respond by tomorrow (Thursday) to be considered for publication.

Art History Humor: Curator Tape

A professional group that I belong to mentioned this product, sold on Amazon. See below and click here.

Think about it...Should something with the name "Curator Tape" even be sold? Online we've had a good laugh about this. It's art history humor but also museum/curatorial humor. What kind of claims can you make about this product that is, ostensibly, gold tape? Here are some of the comments that have been made online in our list-serve, a few of which have been posted to Amazon. See if you catch the humor in each... 

“Everything looks like a masterpiece!”

"Man, that frame for the Van Gogh was in such bad shape, coming apart at the corners and everything!  I taped up the corners and now it looks like a million bucks!"

Non-Discrimination Week

@GCNonDisc
#GCNonDisc
Events and A Campus Teach-In coming April 18-27th

Join Dr. Decker's Women, Art, Objects, and Histories students in the Hall of Fame Room, Weds. April 24th at 12:30 pm for a discussion of museums that foreground minority perspectives. More events here...And, read the petition here.

Dead Sea Scrolls: Follow up

On Sunday, December 2, 2012 students from the art history courses and a few additional friends, via the Religion Department, visited the travelling exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Cincinnati Museum Center.  The name of the exhibit is "Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times." 

I deliver the agenda for the afternoon. 

Escalators to the exhibit hall

Inside the exhibit, we learned how Israel was an ancient crossroads between the Arabian Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. Its the source for Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  The Biblical era, also known as the Iron Age (ca. 1200 BCE) brought forth the birth and evolution of the Israelites who adopted a variation of a Phoenician alphabet to begin writing their Bible (book or library).

In the exhibit, we viewed 10 selections from the Scrolls, that are 2000-year-old parchments and that address the latter Hellenic and Roman control of this region. The scrolls were non-Biblical and Biblical, thus giving us a glimpse into the lives of people at the time.

Inside the exhibition, there are ample texts and prompts for using the audioguides.

The decoration on the vessel on the right above was unusual in that it had clay on its shoulder and included a striding horned animal with a bird above it. Also, a paw appears on the rim.

Objects were on view in cases as well as secondary wall displays.

In addition to this cache of stones, we saw iron arrowheads (or points) and flint sling-stones. These give compelling evidence of a catastrophic battle that took place in the area of Lachish.

The fascinating scale with stone weights.

In addition, we saw ceramic rattles, pottery figurine of a female drummer (that I thought looked like a tambourine player), leather sandals, combs, ossuraries, and textiles.

Relaxing at the end of the afternoon before the bus's departure.

If you're interested in visual and material culture of the ancient world, and are a fan of archaeology, this exhibition is well worth the ticket.

Fiscal Cliff: Museum Admission

In the political arena, all of this talk about a fiscal cliff brings to mind a possible impending doom through higher taxes and budget cuts for Americans in the new year. Some resolution must be reached by our leaders. But, the terms of that are yet undefined and might lead us to pause and think about how we spend our own funds. In terms of deficits and budget cuts, where are you willing to budge? What is "worth" an increase to you? What do you value?

Well, in the museum world, value and admission price are touchy topics, particularly given the new lawsuit against the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See here, here, and here. At issue is the Museum's fiscal policy for admission that offers a price, and in small print, defines that fee as suggested. The fee is steep - $25 - but when you consider what comes with that fee, the benefits seem to outweigh the costs by far.


However, two long-time members of the Met are suing the museum because of its fiscal policy for admission, and also, its supposed intent to deceive folks into believing that they HAVE to pay the recommended price (currently, $25).

Dr. Brill and Prof. Zakic enjoying a conversation
in front of Tom Coates' works.

Some of the comments made by readers of the articles linked above have pointed out some of the many tropes of the benevolence shown toward public services and cultural entities - that museums have benefitted from public funding and subsidies. This is undoubtedly true, but museums and cultural institutions, like the Met and our own galleries and collections, do face rising costs. Nor are they immune to inflation.

Other commenters have remarked at the murkiness of the fee structure - it's unclear to visitors not familiar with the miniscule font that reads "recommended" underneath the admission fee. Still, others have claimed that it shouldn't be a bother to pay what you wish. Responders have noted that those who do pay less get glares and snares from Met staff who seem to pass judgement upon those who choose - for whatever reason - not the pay for the full recommended admission fee.

Good art inspires conversation and reflection. 

I do agree with the premise of the lawsuit - that the Museum's recommended fee and language at the admission desk is unclear. While certainly the majority of folks will not refuse to visit the Met because of the lawsuit filed by Theodore Grunewald and Patricia Nicholson who want a court order barring the Museum from charging admission. The lawsuit may have an impact: there may be a few shy of 6 million visitors next year, to the Met perhaps. Well, that's possible, but highly unlikely.

And, it's best shared with fiends!

In light of all of these financial and litigious discussions, I encourage you to continue to patronize museums, galleries, and collections as you wish - and embrace those that truly remain free, such as our own collections: the outdoor Sculpture Collection, the Wilson and Cochenour Galleries, Gallery 108 (the new annex site in the LRC), and the Dr. Donald L. and Dorothy Jacobs Collection. We have art on view every day of the year, open and accessible 24/7 for you. For free! Really, truly FREE!

Dead Sea Scrolls

On December 2, 2012 students from my Survey of Art History course and Dr. Clark's Religion course will make a visit to the Cincinnati Museum Center to see the exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls are leather and papyrus documents dating from the classical era, around the first century BCE and the first half of the 1st century CE. They were discovered, in the modern era, in caves of the NW shore of the Dead Sea. We refer to these caves, seen below, as the Qumran Caves. Types of documents found in these caves include copies of the books of the Hebrew Bible; copies of books of the Old Testament Apocrypha; and documents written by an ascetic community. 

View of the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947. (2008). In The Bridgeman Art Library Archive. 

Dead Sea Scrolls. (2001). In Encyclopedia of Archaeology: History and Discoveries. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/abcarch/dead_sea_scrolls

This exhibit will be visually stunning, as it features 600 actual archaeologically excavated artifacts plus 10 samples of authentic scrolls.  This is unusual for a traveling exhibition. Most come with 250 to 300 artifacts and replicas.  All 600 are actual pieces from Biblical to the Byzantine period in Israel and many are from recent excavations and on public display for the first time.

Watch this page for another post after the event. And, if you're interested in going, let me know! We're offering NEXUS for up to 4 credits which will include pre-reading and discussion. 
  

PS: If you remember GC alum '12, Jordan -- she'll be working at the Museum Center that day. So, we'll reconnect with a GC alum, history major, and art history/museum studies student during our visit. Yay!

Virgin Mary of Breezy Point

In our museum studies course this week, we were discussing the significant losses in the art world resulting from Hurricane Sandy. See information on MoMA's efforts here (resultant from a triage-center Q&A on emergency management, particularly for the Chelsea Galleries). However, on the brighter side, see the image above - a work that provides hope in the face of destruction. Read about the Virgin Mary of Breezy Point here.

Road Trip: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Earl Grey in front of one of Roxy Paine's dendroid works nestled on the lawn of
 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR, photo August 2012

Crystal Bridges, nestled in a beautiful grove of trees and public art, opened last November on the outskirts of Bentonville, Arkansas. Yes, that's right - Bentonville, the home of Wal-Mart.

The museum has had its detractors -- those who despise Wal-Mart, in turn, despise this "museum that Wal-Mart built" simply because an heir of the company's founder funded the project and serves as Board Chair. To read an analysis of why this museum does not deserve its association with the Occupy movement, click here.

Alternatively, some from the art world have proclaimed its goodness - but not its greatness. Judith Dobrzynski wrote a good review of the collection in December 2011 focusing on its above averageness (click here). Roberta Smith, esteemed NYTimes critic, gave a very good review in December 2011 focusing on the collection and its outreach, noting: "The museum also has the beginning of a distinctive mission, which is to tie together American art and history and the immediate experience of nature in a compelling and accessible way, one that still keeps the art very much in the foreground." Smith points out that "Crystal Bridges is user friendly...Admission is free, and it has an ambitious education program that will...reach out to more than 80,000 elementary school students in the area. And in some of the interstices between its pavilions...it has areas outfitted with comfortable chairs and couches and stocked with stacks of art books for browsing. These elements, like the museum they are part of, convey the belief that art, like music and literature, is not a recreational luxury or the purview of the rich. Rather, it is an essential tool for living to which everyone must have access, because it helps awaken and direct the individual talent whose development is essential to society, especially a democratic one. Art, after all, is one of the places where the pursuit of happiness gains focus and purpose and starts expanding outward, to aid and abet that thing called the greater good."

More recently, Crystal Bridges has reached out to the "at risk" Stieglitz Collection at Fisk University to resolve the university's financial crisis by creating a partnership between the two institutions. According to the Museum's director,  Don Bacigalupi: “We are looking forward to working with Fisk University as we begin this partnership and eventually present the Stieglitz Collection to the very large—and growing—Crystal Bridges audience." Alice Walton, the heir behind the Crystal Bridges project further noted, “It’s been many years and we are grateful for the time, effort and final court decision that will enable Crystal Bridges to enhance public access to this important collection. We’re feeling great about the future of the Stieglitz Collection. The Fisk-Crystal Bridges partnership keeps the collection intact and ensures its long-term preservation and access.”

Earl Grey at Asher B. Durand's Kindred Spirits, purchased from the New York Public Library for $35M, now in the Collection of Crystal Bridges.

Having spent an entire day at the museum and on the grounds of the site, I can say that the museum is the real deal. It's worth the trip. Road trip anyone?

Core Strength

Working out is difficult in the winter months, but not for the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM)! They've tightened their belt, flexed their muscle, and are offering us a glimpse of their core strength (pun intended).

What I mean to suggest is that through their fresh, new display they are privileging their highlights and giving us a view of their strengths, the reasons their permanent collection is regionally premiere.

Senior art majors and some of their friends and family visited the CAM on Sunday afternoon to take in the art and were in for a real treat. The Emma Louise Schmidlapp Wing, designed by noted Chicago architect Daniel H. Burnham (think 1893 World's Fair!), had been closed for the summer. It's open now and is no longer a Doric-columned parade of ancient and classical civilizations. The corridor that formerly housed numerous Greek, Roman, and Egyptian objects along with an appetizer of modern and contemporary acquisitions has changed -- for the better. It's got core strength -- and by that I mean HIGHLIGHTS from the entire museum.

Behind graduation-tasseled-pods visitors can encounter a singular (or pair of related works) closely. These viewing areas stretch the length of the Schmidlapp Wing, featuring more two dozen major works from key areas comprising the museum's collections: Warhol, Matisse, Avedon are given private, almost peep-show treatment, just as Gainsborough, Flemish panel painters, Duveneck, and an Egyptian mummy are privileged. This new look is intimate, inviting, and absorbing. It encourages quiet, focused study and concentration on singular objects.

But this isn't the only change in the main corridor. Some of the ancient works from the classical civilizations and Egypt will be re-installed in a newly-created gallery upstairs called The Collections: 6,000 Years of Art. The space (and, maybe, even the core strength corridor on the first level?) will incorporate educative features as well. This space will be open later this fall (it was still under wraps when we visited on Sunday).

If you have the opportunity to visit the CAM over break, please do! The museum is free (bargain) parking is $4.00 (bargain!) but you get that for free as well if you spend $10 in the cafe or $15 in the gift shop. Go----See-----Art, become inspired or learn something knew, and share your passion with friends and family.

The Art and Science of Looking

Research on museum visitorship, studies and statistical data about collections, and quantitative as well as qualitative research in museums fascinate me. Take, for instance, a recent article published in the Daily Mail that disclosed the results of a study conducted at Tate Britain, where museum-goers were observed while viewing works of art. The numerical data is surprising (for example, the longest observation was, in fact, contemplation of Sir John Everett Millais' Ophelia, where a viewer contemplated the painting for 30 minutes in contrast to a mere five seconds or, rather, a sheer avoidance or un-acknowledgement of works by Damien Hirst, b. 1965--).

Yes, you can argue that looking at a work of art means that it captures your attention. But the act of looking does not confirm that you like the work. What determines the turn to look and further, how long we spend looking at a work of art? Certainly, a factor to consider is the viewer's like or dislike, but what else? To invoke, yet again, our friend from AHRECO, W.J.T. Mitchell, and, thus ask "does the object stare back?"

An interesting riff on the notion of looking and staring occurred in an exhibition mounted at the National Gallery (London) in 1999 for the Millennium. I saw this exhibition and was quite unaware, at the time, of its machinations. "Telling Time" explored, at bottom, the process of looking through the employ of the largest-ever eye-tracking experiment that permitted the public to observe eye-movements when looking at art. The experiment provides an unprecedented amount of data on how we look at paintings. A full report on the eye-movement traces, as recorded and reported by the University of Derby (a project collaborator) is here.

The notion of looking, however, is problematized when we consider the ways in which paintings (sculptures, and so on) differ from other art forms. Clearly, as the Daily Mail article states, art requires a different, variable amount of investment: you can choose to look at a painting, or not. This is in marked contrast to a symphony, for example, where you have committed to listen for 40 minutes or so. Consider the ways in which visual artists, art historians, and now critics have differed in their thoughts on looking. Leonardo argued that superior paintings could be viewed all at once, inclusively, whereas poetry insisted upon consecutive verses and a gradual unfolding of knowledge. Yet, the Derby research from the millennium exhibition indicates that we do not see pictures instantaneously but we come to have a general impression through focusing on thumbnail sketch-size that, when compiled, forms a general picture.

The next time you take a look at a work of art, in a gallery or museum setting, consider why you are looking. What makes you look at the work? Are you encompassing all of it in your gaze? Are you looking because you like or because you don't?

image credit: Alfred Eisenstaedt, Little girl, in tutu, looking at her dance step in mirror with teacher beside her, as printed in LIFE, 1920.

Department Trip to Chicago: Sign Up

The department will be going to Chicago the weekend of April 8-10. Sign ups are going on now. There is a sheet as you come in the front of the Wilson Art Building. There are currently 8 spaces left. These spots are reserved for Kappa Pi members or anyone taking an art class. However, on Friday we will open up the spots to any GC student interested in going.

The cost is reasonable:
Kappa Pi—$55
Taking Art Class—$70
Any GC Student—$80

These fees cover travel and lodging, however there will be additional costs for meals and museum entry fees that will most likely be $30+.

If you have questions, ask Daniel Graham or Darrell Kincer for more details.

See you in Chicago!

DK

Opportunity: Internship KHS DEADLINE 8/31/11

The Kentucky Historical Society is working with Northern Kentucky University’s Kentucky Service Corps program to secure student internships in KHS’ Museum Collections & Exhibitions Division. Three internships are available to any undergraduate or graduate student interested in collections management.

Opportunity: Summer Internship

Washington, DC - The Kentucky Society of Washington announced January 15, 2011 as the deadline for applications for the 2011 Henry Clay Internship program. Applications are available now at http://www.kentuckysociety.org/internship.htm.