Sketches made using my Sony Reader
at the Hayward Gallery's David Shrigley and Jeremy Deller exhibitions. The Duke of Sutherland is awfully rich. And now he's even wealthier thanks to the £95m of largely public funds that were used to pay for two of his Titian paintings. These masterpieces were produced in the 16th century by an Italian artist for a Spanish king. It's amusing to think that they have now been "saved for the nation". But shouldn't this be "saved for the state"? What happens if Scotland votes for independence? Will the two "nations" get one each? And when will all this nonsense end about saving things for nations? How many paintings would remain in the National Gallery if everything had stayed in its home nation? __________ Source: Stuart Burch, "The national question", Letters to the Museums Journal (UK), issue 112/04, p. 22-23, 01/04/2012, http://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/comment/01042012-letters We're all copyright criminals. I can't imagine anyone reading this blog could put hand on heart and claim to be completely innocent of contravening the laws governing intellectual property. How many of us can say with any confidence that they actually understand what the rules are anyway? What percentage of the material on this website is unlawful? Am I at risk of being dragged off to the United States like Mr Dotcom, the founder of the now deceased Megaupload? The rise of an entity such as Megaupload must make the publishing industry look back longingly to the lost innocence of the analogue age. Yet even those more tranquil times were plagued by dastardly pirates. As a young boy I spent many hours recording my brother's LPs onto audio cassettes. Occasionally I would come across the dire warning that "home taping is killing music". This struck me as absurd then. It sounds even more contemptible today. Nevertheless, copyright has always been a deeply contentious issue. A recent case reported in The Art Newspaper captures this perfectly. A British judge has apparently ruled that a photograph used on packs of a certain brand of delicious tea has broken the law. The guilty illustration shows a red London bus driving harmlessly across Westminster Bridge with a desaturated black and white image of the Houses of Parliament in the background. This is similar yet really very different to an existing photograph that uses the same sort of effect. The Art Newspaper has been quick to criticise this judgement "for moving into the realm of protecting ideas, rather than the expression of ideas" and fears that "[t]he ruling could have serious implications for artists who reproduce parts of other photographs."(1) I am indeed fearful for my namesake, Stewie Griffin who adopts a similar technique in the gorgeous video accompanying his quite stunning cover of Bryan Adams' power ballad, "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"(2). * Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports on the popularity of Pinterest, a resource that allows its nearly 18 million users to "pin" web images to their own virtual scrapbook. This, as the newspaper rightly points out, is a legal minefield. The newspaper characterises how Pinterest works as follows: Each subscriber [to Pinterest] curates a board or boards of photos, and then other users can click on the links to the original source and choose to re-pin the image on boards of their own.(3) This has very strong echoes of John Berger's Ways of Seeing, in particular Berger's thoughts on children and adults "curating" museum postcards on a bedroom or office wall.(4) Berger argued provocatively and persuasively that, "[l]ogically, these boards should replace museums"(5). And so, forty years after the publication of Ways of Seeing, technology now allows Berger's vision to become a reality. Let's just hope that none of the resulting collages of "curated" collections feature iconic red objects set prominently against a familiar black-and-white background. Otherwise the copyright cops will be kicking down bedroom doors in search of seditious scrapbooks, curatorial criminals and the occasional tea leaf.(6) More tea, Stewie? ____ Notes (1) Anny Shaw, "Landmark ruling to be challenged: Why a British judge decided that an image of a bus on Westminster Bridge infringed copyright", The Art Newspaper, Issue 233, 14 March 2012, accessed 18/03/2012 at, http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/-Landmark-ruling-to-be-challenged/25891. (2) Family Guy, "Ocean's Three and a Half", season 7, episode 7, first broadcast 15 February 2009. See http://familyguy.wikia.com/wiki/Ocean%27s_Three_and_a_Half, accessed 18/03/2012. (3) Therese Poletti, "Is Pinterest Like Napster on Copyrights?", The Wall Street Journal, 15 March 2012, p. 19. (4) See Emily McEwan's synopsis of Berger's Ways of Seeing at, http://emilymay.wordpress.com/research-papers/john-bergers-ways-of-seeing/, accessed 18/03/2012. (5) John Berger, Ways of Seeing, BBC & Penguin, 1972/2008, p. 30. (6) With this in mind, Sweden's Moderna Museet ought to watch out when it comes to its black, white and red photography collection. See Stuart Burch, "Seeing red", 25/09/2011, accessed 18/03/2012 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/09/seeing-red.html.
Sculptor: Sir William Wilson (1641-1710), c.1680
William Cavendish, the First Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is notable in Nottingham not Newcastle on the site of a slighted castle that has been unfortified upon the façade of a fired house that is no longer a home above a door that is now a window that looks into a room without a floor of a pioneering public art gallery which has now been privatized behind a paywall. assaulted, belittled, castigated, decapitated, emasculated, flayed, goaded, hobbled, incapacitated, jinxed, kiboshed, lacerated, maimed, nobbled, ostracized, pelted, queered, rubbished, slated, traduced, usurped, vilified, whacked, xoanoned, yoked, zapped Sculptor: Joseph Durham ARA, FSA (1814-77) _ JULIUS LUCIUS BRENCHLEY, BENEFACTOR, BORN at KINGSLEY HOUSE, MAIDSTONE, 30th NOVEMBER, 1816, DIED at FOLKESTONE, 24th FEBRUARY, 1873. After many years of travel, returning to England, he bought, laid out, and transferred to the Maidstone Local Board the adjacent Public Garden, and at his death bequeathed his collections of Natural History, Books, and Works of Art to Trustees, with an Endowment for their preservation and exhibition in this Museum. Alternative plaque:
_ Earlier today I decided to brave the crowds in order to experience Turner, Monet, Twombly at Sweden's Moderna Museet. As so often happens at these so-called "blockbuster exhibitions", the main things on show were the backs of people's heads. This was exacerbated by partition walls inserted into the large gallery space. They made it feel like we were sheep being rounded up into our artful pens. Acting like an art-loving Luke Skywalker in the garbage compactor, I squeezed through a narrow gap at the end of one angled partition. Frantically pushing aside the forest of infrared audio-guides being wielded like lightsabers, I reached a relatively unpopulated scrap of wooden flooring. Despite this comparative lull in proceedings I began toying seriously with the idea of making an early exit. The only reason I decided to stay was thanks to the sharp eyes and keen imagination of a girl who must have been about six or seven years old. She'd clearly been giving her mother an impromptu guided tour because I overheard a slightly frazzled voice asking, "Where exactly is the rabbit?" Following the line of a small finger, my eyes settled on the top left hand corner of a large canvas: "It's up there!" Remarkably, all this eagle-eyed connoisseur got as a reward for her investigative work was a less than convinced, "Oh, um, yes..." And with that, they were gone, leaving me alone with the rabbit. Because it really was a rabbit. Grown-up art historians like the exhibition's curator, Jeremy Lewison would no doubt mistake it for the letter "V" at the start of the word "Victory" in Cy Twombly's unhelpfully labelled work, Untitled (1992, private collection, courtesy Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich). Lewison is incapable of seeing rabbits on account of being awed by "the immensity of the sky" and the fact that the canvas features scribbled quotations from the likes of Rilke and Baudelaire. This, he urges, "links [Twombly's] work to feelings of man's insignificance before the infinite, his vulnerability and intoxication."(1) This is great big piles of mystification.(2) I can no more share Lewison's wordy nonsense than I can his insistence that there is a "small boat bobbing on the sea" of Twombly's Untitled.(3) And, anyway, what sort of magician is Jeremy Lewison if he can't even pull a rabbit out of a Twombly? So, next time you find yourself at a blockbuster, ignore all the artspeak mystification and follow a child's logic. Because "sometime we see a cloud that's dragonish".(4) Or, if you're very lucky, a Twombly that's rabbitish. ____ Notes (1) Jeremy Lewison, Turner Monet Twombly: Later Paintings, Tate, 2012, p. 59. (2) Stuart Burch, "Pistoletto piss-take", 17/09/2011, accessed 05/01/2011 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/9/pistoletto-piss-take.html. (3) Lewison, 2012, p. 59. (4) Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, 4.14, line 2. MOCA 02/04/2009 An occasional series documenting the first thing one sees in your visitor-friendly museum: the "Do Not..." sign Do Not... MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles _ _ Miami Art Museum is about to be rechristened. This name change has been prompted by a property developer who has promised to gift the institution art and money totalling $35 million over the next ten years. In return for this generosity the museum will be renamed the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. This controversial decision has prompted the resignation of three board members.(1) The feelings of these ex-members of Miami Art Museum’s board are probably as intense as those football fans of Newcastle United who are outraged by the fact that their sporting home is now no longer known as "St James' Park". It is instead "the Sports Direct Arena". This catchy moniker matches the name of the business owned by the club's chairman, Mike Ashley. There are many such examples, from Amex Stadium to KitKat Crescent.(2) But should our museums be co-opted by the egos of rich individuals and the machinations of global brands? Where might all this lead? Tate Starbucks? Courtauld Coca-Cola Institute of Art? Horniman "Happy Meal" Museum? Wallace-Wikipedia Collection? Um, on second thoughts perhaps the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County isn't quite as radical as it at first seems. Just ask the likes of Sir Henry Tate (1819-99), Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), Frederick John Horniman (1835-1906) and Sir Richard Wallace (1818-90). All are museumified to such an extent that their names sound dignified and, well, museal. Who knows, the next time you visit the Duveen galleries of Tate Britain or the British Museum they might have been reborn as the Apple Ambulatory and the Google Gallery. No one remembers Sir Joseph Duveen (1869-1939) anyway... ____ Notes (1) Hannah Sampson, "Developer gives $35 million naming donation to Miami Art Museum", Miami Herald, 12/02/2011, accessed 05/12/2011 at, http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/02/2528192/developer-gives-35-million-naming.html. (2) David Conn, "Newcastle stadium name-change lacks class and is unworthy of history", The Guardian, 10/11/2011, accessed 05/12/2011 at, http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/10/newcastle-united-st-james-renaming. Question What is a museum?
Answer A dumping ground for "all kinds of cultural litter".* * Le Guin, Ursula K. (1971/2001) The Lathe of Heaven (London: Orion), p. 152. Next month the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds will open an exhibition entitled, "United Enemies". It aims to explore "the problem of sculpture in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s". The slogan emblazoned on the institute's facade resonates with the war memorial outside. One of the allegorical groups at its base features a sculpture of St George conquering the dragon. The saint and the serpent are "united enemies" – frozen forever in a brutal bronze embrace and "symbolical... of the everlasting struggle between good and evil."(1) But all is not as it seems. The Carrara marble obelisk, plinth and steps were executed by Carlo Domenico Magnoni (c.1871-1961). Henry Charles Fehr (1867-1940) was responsible for the bronze sculptures. The ensemble once stood in the City Square just outside the main railway station. Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood unveiled it there in 1922.(2) Fifteen years later it was shifted to Victoria Gardens on The Headrow, where it still stands. Originally Fehr's "Winged Victory" hovered triumphantly over St George. This was removed in 1967. Since 1991 the more pacific "Angel of Peace" by Ian Jubb (born 1947) has surmounted the dragon slayer. This chimes with Fehr's allegory of "Peace" which, like St George, stands at the base of the obelisk.(3) So, whilst this memorial looks fixed and unchanging, appearances can be deceptive. The Leeds War Memorial does all it can to convince us that it speaks for everyone, forever - a truly public pronouncement. The patina of time adds to its nostalgic allure. But compare present-day attitudes with this newspaper article published in 1922: After something like three years of procrastination, mainly due to a lack of monetary support, the Leeds War Memorial has become an accomplished fact with the fixing of the date for the unveiling ceremony, which will be on October 14. The project has been attended by criticism and scarcely-veiled hostility since its inception. By the time Sir Reginald Blomfield's plans had been provisionally accepted by the War Memorial Committee most of the parishes and districts had their individual memorials, either erected or in hand. No doubt this was one of the reasons the subscription-list for the fund of £70,000 never reached £7,000; others lay in objections to the memorial design; in objections to the Cookridge Street site; in a contention more than once urged that a war memorial ought to afford benefit to the living disabled, for instance, rather than a memorialising of the dead; and also in the unemployment and distress then becoming acute.(4) The temporary carpet of poppies at the feet of St George; the metamorphosis from victory to peace; and a knowledge of the memorial's deeply contested origins remind us that objects are forever being "perceived and uttered in different ways".(5) A monument's meaning is not stable but is instead "in suspense... and... indeterminate". The Leeds memorial has at various points in its history attracted suffragists, pacifists, war veterans and fairtraders.(6) Its potential significance, it seems, is infinitely malleable. A commemorative memorial such as this is thus "tailored to the needs of the present... and especially the future". Those that gather at symbols of remembrance do so in an effort "to determine, delimit and define the always open meaning of the present." Objects are, in short, subject to all manner of "cognitive 'filling-in' strategies". One such "cognitive 'filling-in' strategy" is this very blog posting. I began writing it on the eve of my talk to delegates of the "Sculpture and Comic Art" conference taking place in the art gallery directly behind St George and his foe. My talk uses the ideas of Pierre Bourdieu to explore Estonia's Bronze Soldier. This Soviet-era war memorial is simultaneously interpreted as a symbol of liberation and occupation. Opposing camps have clashed at the foot of the statue in a futile effort "to determine, delimit and define the always open meaning of the present." In April 2007 a riot erupted on the streets of Tallinn when the authorities moved the monument from the city centre to a military cemetery. The Bronze Soldier obliged these "united enemies" to realise an uncomfortable truth, namely that objects are "perceived and uttered in different ways". If you're in any doubt about this, just ask the poor old "Winged Victory". After her removal from the Leeds war memorial she was, like Estonia's Bronze Soldier, moved to a burial place, namely Cottingley Crematorium. However, in 1988 the metal maiden was deemed to be in such a poor state of repair that she was melted down. The only part that escaped this authorised vandalism was the head. It is now in the collections of Leeds City Art Gallery. This decapitated angel of victory looks anything but victorious. What better example could there be of the indeterminacy of meaning and of an object's infinite capacity for being "perceived and uttered in different ways"? And who knows, perhaps one day St George will also be sent back to the furnace from whence he came? He and the dragon would cease to be "united enemies". The severed serpent might then be set free to embark on an exciting new life full of unanticipated meanings... ____ Notes (1) Unveiling of the War Memorial by the Right Hon. Viscount Lascelles K.G., D.S.O. Saturday, 14th October, 1922, at 3:30 (Leeds: Jowett & Sowry), p.2. (2) The Yorkshire Evening News felt it was "appropriate the Viscount Lascelles should perform the duty, as he [had] a distinguished war record and was thrice wounded while serving on the Western front." (6/10/1922). (3) Information about the monument is derived from interpretation panels in the sculpture galleries of Leeds City Art Gallery (15/11/2011). (4) "The Leeds War Memorial", The Yorkshire Observer, 6/10/1922. (5) This and all subsequent quotations are derived from Pierre Bourdieu's "The Social Space and the Genesis of Groups", Theory and Society, Vol. 14, No. 6, 1985, pp. 723-744 (p. 728). (6) See http://www.visitleeds.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=13&feature=1&venue=2193653. Victoria Tower, Houses of Parliament Dr Liam Fox was until recently Great Britain's Secretary of State for Defence. He resigned on 14th October. The reason for this decision was set out in a terse letter he sent to the British Prime Minister, David Cameron: "I mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my government activities to become blurred. The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days. I am very sorry for this."(1) Following the media investigations into this affair it is evident that this "blurring" of the personal and professional is nothing new. Moreover, the tenacity with which Dr Fox attempted to hold on to his job would suggest that he saw nothing wrong with using his elected position to further the ideological beliefs of his closest associates. Many might consider this affair to be little more than a petty political squabble that pales into insignificance in comparison to the deaths of Lance Corporal Jonathan McKinlay and Marine David Fairbrother, both of whom were killed last month whilst on active duty in Afghanistan. Dr Fox referred to these two men whilst addressing parliament on 10th October. He deserves credit for honouring these soldiers. He also merits praise for recognising the importance of the political maelstrom which raged around him. "Serious issues have been raised here", declared Dr Fox to his fellow politicians.(2) These "serious issues" are all to do with ethics. In his foreword to the Ministerial Code, David Cameron declared it was his government's "historic responsibility" to renew public confidence in politics and politicians. One way of achieving this was for his colleagues to abide by section 7.1 of the Ministerial Code: "Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise."(3) Dr Fox fell well short of this edict due to his longstanding association with his pseudo advisor (sic) Adam Werritty and their links with the erstwhile "charity" Atlantic Bridge. But what does any of this have to do with museums? Well, the Fox affair has placed a renewed spotlight on "The Seven Principles of Public Life". These are: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.(4) These principles feature as an annex not only to the Ministerial Code but also to the Code of Ethics for Museums. The latter sets out the "ethical principles for all who work for or govern museums in the UK". Compare what we know about Dr Fox's behaviour with the following from the Code of Ethics for Museums: 2.6 Avoid any private activity or pursuit of a personal interest that may conflict or be perceived to conflict with the public interest. 2.17 Avoid being seen as representing the museum if speaking personally or on behalf of outside organisations whose practices and purposes conflict with that of the museum. Now imagine if Dr Fox had been a museum director instead of a Secretary of State for Defence. Consider that a friend of the director had handed out business cards giving the impression that he was representing him and the museum. Then reflect on the implications of unidentified outside interests influencing the museum's collecting policy, exhibition programme or special events. And what if it transpired that associates of the director had links to the art and antiquities market – buying and selling items related to those shown at the museum. Now ask yourself: would this individual be a fit person to run a museum? ____ Notes (1) Cited in "Defence Secretary Liam Fox quits", BBC News, accessed 16/10/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15311615. (2) Hansard, 10th October 2011, Column 28, accessed 16/10/2011 at, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm111010/debtext/111010-0001.htm. (3) Ministerial Code, May 2010, accessed 16/10/2011 at, http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/ministerial-code-may-2010.pdf. (4) This stems from Standards in Public Life: the First Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (1995). See: www.public-standards.org.uk. ___________ Supplemental (19/10/2011) Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell's official report has concluded that "Dr Fox's actions clearly constitute a breach of the Ministerial Code" (see links below). For his part, Dr Fox acknowledged his shortcomings but sought to portray the "media frenzy" that had surrounded him as something that "should worry all of us." (1) Perhaps Dr Fox would still be in government without this so-called "frenzy"? Be that as it may, his attempt to castigate the media should not distract attention from those issues that remain. The principal unanswered question has been identified by the shadow leader of the House, Angela Eagle: "Why was the defence secretary allowed to treat the ministerial code as if it were an optional extra?" (2) ____ Notes (1) Anon (2011) "Liam Fox attacks 'vindictiveness, even hatred' of media", BBC News, 19/10, accessed 19/10/2011 at, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15360827 (2) Ibid. ____________ Documentation Source: Cabinet Office In July I posted a comment about the exhibition Art for the Nation: Sir Charles Eastlake at the National Gallery (Burch 2011a). I have since had a chance to visit the museum and am now in a position to develop some of the ideas mentioned in my early blog posting. Although the show in question fills only one small room, the ethical issues it raises are momentous. However, as with the concurrent exhibition Devotion by Design: Italian Altarpieces before 1500, the museum authorities have ensured that any contentious matters are only mentioned in the associated publication and not in the gallery (cf. Burch 2011b). The focus of the curators' acclaim rests instead on Eastlake as a pioneer whose influence is still felt to this day: "His professional approach to the study and management of the Gallery's collection was ground-breaking and set an example that has been followed ever since."(1) This is undoubtedly true in terms of the museum's collections. But can the same be said when it comes to its attitudes towards visitors? "The pictures were Eastlake's first priority in everything he did at the National Gallery. As a result the desire to accommodate visitors and their needs had second place and definite limits" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 174). This, alas, seems to tally with the curatorial treatment of Eastlake. The "modest, scholarly and determined man" that emerges from the exhibition contrasts with the "wily" operator in Avery-Quash and Sheldon's associated biography (2011: 155). Yet even they are careful to avoid any real criticism. They note that Eastlake had collected privately since 1812, but conclude that: "It was probably the case that Eastlake limited his own purchases to paintings which he considered ineligible for the Gallery on grounds of size, state of preservation, or status of the artist in question. Such an honourable demarcation would have been characteristic of the man" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 162). This entirely positive stance allows the authors to bypass any awkward questions. Take, for example, Pollaiuolo's The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian (1475, oil on poplar, 291.5 x 202.6 cm, inventory no. NG292). Eastlake's contemporary, John Morris Moore (1812-85) argued that the methods used to acquire it had violated Tuscan law. Avery-Quash and Sheldon mention this claim and Moore's belief that it has been "smuggled out, using bribery and corruption" before adding: "Moore's aspersions did not have any lasting consequence" (Avery-Quash & Sheldon 2011: 177). But were the accusations true? Art for the Nation: Sir Charles Eastlake at the National Gallery was a missed opportunity to provide some much-needed historical context to one of the most pressing issues facing museums today: the question of deaccessioning. Changes to the Code of Ethics for Museums now allow for "financially motivated disposal in exceptional circumstances" (2). This, not surprisingly, has given rise to many complex, ethical arguments. There is an urgent need for an informed debate that draws on past practice. A case in point concerns the National Gallery's decision in 1857 to sell thirty-seven paintings from the former Krüger collection. Avery-Quash and Sheldon (2011: 160) remark that "[t]his act is considered unfortunate today, given that important works from this history of German art were irreparably broken up." Why was this affair ignored in the Eastlake exhibition? And why was there no mention of the 1856 "Act to extend the Powers of the Trustees and Director of the National Gallery, and to authorize the Sale of Works of Art belonging to the Public"? This legislation was enacted in response to sellers who only agreed to part with an entire collection of artworks rather than just the specific painting that Eastlake was so eager to acquire. Hence the National Gallery's decision to sell works at Christie's auction house on 14 February 1857. How many current museum professionals are aware of this precedent? One positive thing about the Eastlake exhibition is that it does occasionally touch upon that most un-museum of subjects: money. We learn, for instance, that Eastlake's most expensive acquisition was the £13,650 spent on Paolo Veronese's The Family of Darius before Alexander (1565-7, oil on canvas, 236.2 x 474.9 cm, inventory no. NG294). Of course, the museum does not see fit to include this figure among the "key facts" about the painting (3). And, whilst visitors to the Eastlake exhibition are given the National Gallery's acquisition budget for 1855 (£10,000), they are not told what the figure is today. Why were the two sums not set side-by-side, thus enabling visitors to compare today's situation with that of 156 years ago? The answer is because, then as now, "visitors and their needs" take "second place" within very "definite limits". Sir Charles Eastlake can therefore rest easy: his legacy at the National Gallery is indeed secure. ____ Notes (1) Cited from the interpretation panel "Eastlake's legacy at the National Gallery". (2) See "Sale of collections", accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.museumsassociation.org/collections/sale-of-collections. (3) "Key facts", accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/paolo-veronese-the-family-of-darius-before-alexander/*/key-facts. _________ References Avery-Quash, Susanna & Julie Sheldon (2011) Art for the Nation: The Eastlakes and the Victorian Art World (London: National Gallery Company) Burch, Stuart (2011a) "Museum ethics – then and now", 24/07, accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/07/museum-ethics-then-and-now.html Burch, Stuart (2011b) "Deception by Design", 17/09, accessed 09/10/2011 at, http://www.stuartburch.com/1/post/2011/09/deception-by-design.html Do Not... Lady Lever (01/10/2011) An occasional series documenting the first thing one sees in your visitor-friendly museum: the "Do Not..." sign Do Not (Neglect)... Lady Lever Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight Magda Lipka Falck, Anywhere: An Art Guide (2010) Question What is black and white and re(a)d all over? Answer A newspaper (and Moderna Museet) If you’re a fan of photography, now is a great time to visit Moderna Museet. This is because Sweden’s national museum of modern and contemporary art has decided to clear out nearly all of its paintings and sculptures, replacing them with a changing selection of photographs drawn from its own extensive collection. The official reason for this action is to stress that the museum stays true to its reputation for “Movement in Art”. This was the title of a much-heralded exhibition dating from 1961. Visitors to today’s Moderna Museet get a taste of what this show was like through a small commemorative display timed to coincide with its fiftieth anniversary. There is another explanation for Moderna Museet’s photographic re-shoot. Swamping the galleries with photographs is a neat way of retouching the museum so as to allow its new director (Daniel Birnbaum) to politely edit out all traces of his predecessor (Lars Nittve). Think the Louvre after the French revolution minus all the violence. This was indeed a bloodless coup. Yet it is the colour of blood that predominates amid Moderna Museet’s sea of black-and-white photographs. Don't believe me? Well, pop along to the museum and seek out Cindy Sherman’s blouse (Untitled, 2008); Christian Vogt’s Barbara (The Red Series, 1976); Inez Van Lamsweerde’s lace gloves (Petra, 1994); Veronika Bromová’s testicles (Girls too, 1995); Eva Klasson’s Parasites (1978); Annika von Hausswolff’s wingtips (I Am the Runway of Your Thoughts, 2008); Frank Thiel’s crane (City 2/36/A (Berlin), 1988); Hans Hammarskiöld and Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd’s Laser (1971); Tuija Lindström’s Iron (1991); Lars Tunbjörk’s Pictures from Sweden (1991); Nan Goldin’s French Chris (1979); J.H. Engström’s lips (Haunts, 2006) and Irving Penn’s Mouth (1986/1992). Oh, and guess what colour all the articulated trucks were that Annica Karlsson Rixon photographed over the space of five years? That’s right: red. Just like the sofa next to the coffee table covered with books to be read. Does this reddymade (sic) reveal the curators’ favourite colour? Or is black-and-white with a touch of vermilion a marker of photographic distinction? Evidence supporting the latter contention comes from archival copies of such magazines as Life, Se and Die Woche, examples of which are displayed in vitrines. Their covers from the 1930s to the 1960s are formed of black-and-white images juxtaposed with the logo of the journal – all of which are red. So, if photography leaves you cold and if red is your least favourite colour, then it’s probably best to put off visiting Moderna Museet until the revolution is over and normal service has resumed… Next year will mark the fortieth anniversary of John Berger's Ways of Seeing. In it he memorably comments on "the disingenuousness that bedevils the subject of art history" (Berger 1972: 102). He also refers to "mystification" - "the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident" (8-9). That Ways of Seeing is still well worth reading ought to be evident to all recent visitors to London's Serpentine Gallery. Its current exhibition - which ends today - is devoted to the Italian artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto (born 1933). He has filled the gallery with coils of twisting cardboard to create a labyrinth. Dotted around are various symbolic artefacts intended to represent the world's four major religions. This site-specific installation is called The Mirror of Judgement. Visitors, as the title suggests, encounter themselves reflected in large mirrors placed at various junctures. These link back to Pistoletto's Mirror Paintings of the 1960s, a fact mentioned in the introductory interpretation panel: The Mirror Paintings... reflect their surroundings and the viewer as a part of the image, linking art and life in an ever-changing spectacle... After moving through the maze, visitors encounter a number of mirrors and are invited, quite literally, to reflect on themselves and society. For the artist, art should inspire and produce social change, both on an individual and collective level. Pistoletto describes this engagement as "a winding and unforeseeable road that leads us to the place of revelation, of knowledge." This sense of transformation and enlightenment is brought to an ecstatic crescendo in the accompanying catalogue, which ends with a statement by Pistoletto: The future for me is not about the possession of the world, but about making love with the world - it's our partner. But if we make love with the world, we have to love humanity. If you love humanity, you love yourself (cited in O'Brien 2011: 23). There are many words to describe this sort of artspeak rhetoric, some more polite than others. It is a variation on the theme of Berger's mystification. It is also deeply disingenuous. This is demonstrated by one of the artefacts included in Pistoletto's installation. Christianity is represented by a prie-dieu or "kneeler"(1). On it is a metal plaque that reads: TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF GEORGE SMITH. FOR 50 YEARS A WORKER IN THIS CHURCH, BORN 1842. DIED 1915. "MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED." The inclusion of this item is part of Pistoletto's call for art "to produce new symbols, or to change old symbols into new ones" (cited in O'Brien 2011: 22). The prie-dieu made me reflect on myself and society - just as Pistoletto intended. In the hope of reaching "the place of revelation, of knowledge" I asked a gallery invigilator about George Smith and the church at which he had worked for half a century. She had no idea. Nor did the chap at the information desk. He went upstairs to consult the curator and when he came back he informed me that the prie-dieu had been bought at an antiques auction. Nothing else was known about it. He added helpfully that one thing, however, was certain: George Smith was of no significance to Michelangelo Pistoletto. It was at that moment that the scales of mystification fell from my eyes. "Democracy", says Pistoletto, "is horizontal, it isn't a pyramid" (cited in O'Brien 2011: 21). If this is the case, why doesn't anyone care about George Smith (1842-1915)? Pistoletto and the Serpentine Gallery claim that "art should inspire and produce social change". Unfortunately for them, The Mirror of Judgement has exposed both its creator and its host. They preside over a smoke and mirrors act shot through with mystification. One newspaper critic was duped into taking Pistoletto's "richly symbolic spiritual journey". But something troubled him: "why must [Pistoletto] be so maddeningly obscure?" (Hudson 2011) The answer is because, without the obscurity and the mystification, there would be nothing left except for strips of cardboard and bits of old junk ripped from a forgotten church. Pistoletto talks about "making love with the world". Perhaps he's right. I certainly felt screwed by my Serpentine experience. ___ Note (1) "prie-dieu, n. A piece of furniture for the use of a person at prayer, consisting of a kneeler with a narrow upright front surmounted by a ledge for books or for resting the elbows" (OED 1908/2011). _________ References Berger, John (1972) Ways of Seeing, BBC & Penguin (2008 edition) Hudson, Mark (2001) "Michelangelo Pistoletto: The Mirror of Judgement, Serpentine Gallery, review", The Telegraph, 11/07, accessed 17/09/2011 at, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-reviews/8630864/Michelangelo-Pistoletto-The-Mirror-of-Judgement-Serpentine-Gallery-review.html O'Brien, Sophie et al (ed.) (2011) Michelangelo Pistoletto: The Mirror of Judgement, Serpentine Gallery, Koenig Books OED (1908/2007) "prie-dieu, n.", Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed., accessed 17/09/2011 at http://oed.com/view/Entry/151198 __________ Supplemental 25/12/2011 John Berger's Ways of Seeing is now available (in black and white) via UbuWeb. See: http://www.ubu.com/film/berger_seeing.html The association between museums and "sacred" or "consecrated" places has long been understood (Elliott 2002). This overlap has now been rendered complete by the National Gallery's temporary exhibition Devotion by Design: Italian Altarpieces before 1500 (6 July – 2 October 2011). One of its rooms recreates the interior of a Tuscan church from around 1500 complete with candlesticks and candle light, altar crucifix and religious music. The exhibition explores altarpieces - their construction, commission and construal. It also tackles "the business of altarpiece design". It has far less to say about the business of altarpiece acquisition. This silence is achieved by a careful process of exclusion, as is apparent in the room entitled "Dislocation". It is introduced as follows: The objects in this room are all fragments of different altarpieces. Some altarpieces were modified or updated quite early in their history to appeal to the prevailing tastes of the time. The majority, however, were dismantled following the suppression of religious institutions across Italy during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Altarpieces that were not directly transferred to art galleries in Italy appeared on the art market, encouraging the attention of scholars and collectors. This room examines the various methods used by art historians, conservators and scientists to reconstruct and recontextualize these altarpiece fragments. This seemingly unremarkable statement of facts neglects to mention something that is raised in the accompanying catalogue. The chapter "Dislocation, dismembering and dismantling" begins with a reproduction of Niccolò di Liberatore's Christ on the Cross, and Other Scenes (1487). It was purchased by the National Gallery in 1881. Rumours that it had been stolen prior to its acquisition were "somewhat mysteriously" dropped (Nethersole 2011: 93). This example is used to illustrate "the potentially dubious machinations that sometimes characterised the sale of Italian pictures in the nineteenth century." The catalogue's author continues: "The art market responded to the demand for Italian "primitives" by ruthlessly hacking them up, extracting saleable elements and discarding the rest" (Nethersole 2011: 93). So, instead of a backdrop of sacred music, might it not be more appropriate if the National Gallery's hallowed halls reverberated to the sound of saws cutting wood? How do we account for the difference between the interpretation in the gallery and in the book? Well, opting to overlook the "dubious machinations" of the art market minimises the risk of gallery-goers asking awkward questions. Any critical reactions arise at a safe distance: namely when the interested visitor sits down at home to flick through the glossy new addition to their library. Is this deception by interpretive design acceptable for a museum that markets itself under the mantra: "EXPLORE & REFLECT"? It is questionable whether the dissimulation evident in Devotion by Design accords with the museum's own Research code of conduct: "Good conduct in the context of research practice at the Gallery includes... [a]pplying the highest possible standards of integrity and professionalism, including observing relevant legal and ethical requirements."(1) By marginalising legal and ethical questions the museum has presumably sought to safeguard the sacred aura of the museum. The realisation that the National Gallery has played a decidedly dubious role in the dislocation, dismembering and dismantling of religious artefacts is disturbing. But that should not make it a taboo topic for a museum visit. The museum's curators clearly need to worship at the altar of the Church of Earthalujah and heed the words of the Rev Billy: "Blessed are you who disturb the customers, for you might be loving your neighbor." The National Gallery ought to reward its visitors with just such disturbing love. ___ Note (1) National Gallery Code of Practice and Good Conduct in Research, accessed 17/09/2011 at, http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/research/research-code-of-conduct _________ References Elliott, Mark (2002) "Magic House: Sacred Space and Profane Behaviour in the Indian Museum, Calcutta", World Art Symposium, School of World Art Studies and Museology at the University of East Anglia, 19/01, accessed 17/09/2011 at, http://www.uea.ac.uk/~t013/Sacred%20Places/Magic_house.htm Nethersole, Scott (2011) Devotion by Design: Italian Altarpieces before 1500, London, National Gallery Company Do ... Manchester Museum (04/12/2009) An occasional series documenting the first thing one sees in your visitor-friendly museum: the opposite of a "Do Not..." sign* Do ... Manchester Museum Manchester Museum (The University of Manchester) * Instruction seen at Manchester Museum in relation to two bronze sculptures by John Macallan Swan (1847-1910) and Frank Dobson (1886-1963). (Photography was forbidden, though.) My assisted readymade keeps abreast of Marcel Duchamp's splendid Prière de toucher (Please Touch), 1947. Do... Walker Art Gallery (01/10/2011) Do Not... Ta(pple)te An occasional series documenting the first thing one sees in your visitor-friendly museum: the "Do Not..." sign Do Not... Ta(pple)te Tate Modern, London Square in Stockholm dedicated to Wallenberg Today's issue of the Swedish newspaper, Dagens Nyheter features an article entitled, "Humans are like parasites" (Björling 2011). This interesting idea is derived from a statement made by the American artist Andrea Zittel at the opening of a new exhibition of her work. Zittel's view on human behaviour resonated with an item on the previous page of the same newspaper (Söderling 2011). This concerned a dispute between two historians. One is Ulf Zander, the person with whom I collaborated on the article, "Preoccupied by the Past – The Case of Estonia's Museum of Occupations" (Burch & Zander 2008). The other is Tanja Schult. She attended a seminar I gave at Stockholm University earlier this year. After my talk she kindly gave me a copy of her book, A Hero's Many Faces: Raoul Wallenberg in Contemporary Monuments (Schult 2009). It is the existence of this publication that has given rise to claims of plagiarism. Zander stands accused of incorporating translated extracts into his own book, Hjälten: Raoul Wallenberg inför eftervärlden (Zander 2010). A panel responsible for investigating such cases has previously rejected this claim; but now the publisher of Zander's book has decided to withdraw it from sale. Zander plans to reissue an amended version of his book under a new title. He dismisses the plagiarism claim, arguing that the extracts in question concern widely known facts rather than specifically attributable ideas. He also points out that Schult is mentioned both in his introduction and conclusion as well as being listed in the references. (One might add that a similar acknowledgement was not reciprocated in an extended article that Schult (2010) had published in the newspaper, Svenska Dagbladet.) This affair is regrettable, not least because Zander and Schult were originally professional colleagues. Their partnership ended in acrimony, leading Zander to publish Hjälten (The Hero) on his own. Of wider interest is the sense in which this wrangle threatens to overshadow the importance of their research. Raoul Wallenberg's actions during the Second World War saved many Jews from the Holocaust. The commemoration of Wallenberg is therefore not only morally necessary, but also an excellent case to study from a public history perspective. Both Zander and Schult have done much to promote this cause and improve our understanding of the struggle for "ownership" of historical events and personalities. Such legacies of the past are negotiated and contested in the politics of the present. Ironically enough, there can be no better demonstration of this fact that the unfortunate conflict between the academics, Ulf Zander and Tanja Schult. _________ References Björling, Sanna Torén (2011) "Människor är som parasiter", Dagens Nyheter, 08/09, Kultur, p.3 Burch, Stuart & Ulf Zander (2008) "Preoccupied by the Past – The Case of Estonia's Museum of Occupations", Scandia: Tidskrift för Historisk Forskning, Vol. 74 (2), pp. 53-73 Schult, Tanja (2009) A Hero's Many Faces: Raoul Wallenberg in Contemporary Monuments, Palgrave Macmillan Schult, Tanja (2010) "Monument med mänskliga proportioner", Svenska Dagbladet, 27/01, accessed 08/09/2011 at, http://www.svd.se/kultur/understrecket/monument-med-manskliga-proportioner_4157797.svd Söderling, Fredrik (2011) "Känd historiker anklagad för fusk", Dagens Nyheter, 08/09, Kultur, p.2 Zander, Ulf (2010) Hjälten: Raoul Wallenberg inför eftervärlden, Forum för levande historia The sculptor, Gustav Kraitz designed the memorial Hope (1998) on Raoul Wallenberg Walk adjacent to the United Nations building in New York. It features a bronze copy of Wallenberg's briefcase. This element is sited in other locations, including the Beth Shalom centre in Nottinghamshire (below). Paralabel for Danish & Nordic Art 1750-1900 Denmark's national gallery - Statens Museum for Kunst - is currently carrying out a major rehang of its permanent collections. In May of this year a suite of rooms reopened under the title "Danish and Nordic Art 1750-1900". A leaflet accompanying the display explains that "[t]his part of the gallery collections unfolds the overall lines in Danish and Nordic art through 150 years." Some of these "lines" are, however, noticeably broader and longer than others. If my maths is correct, nine out of ten works are by Danish artists. Holland, France and Switzerland are as well represented as Finland, i.e. by the presence of a single artwork for each country. So, despite its title, this is not really an exhibition about Nordic art. Even if notions of national identity, taste and interpretation are occasionally questioned, this presentation of Danish art follows the same "line" as that taken by Denmark’s first art historian, Niels Laurits Høyen in an essay from 1863 entitled, "On National Art". An extract from this publication appears on one of the gallery walls (room 218A). It reads: "Believe me! The safest, surest, and straightest road to building ever closer ties with our brothers in Sweden and Norway is to affirm ourselves as Danish, including in our art; to bring our nationality, our country, our myths to bear; to show that we need no borrowed feathers for our adornment." (1) If Høyen were alive today he would surely be delighted to see that, in the year 2011, Statens Museum for Kunst had the audacity to give the title "Danish and Nordic Art 1750-1900" to an exhibition in which 356 out of 392 works are by Danish artists. ______ (1) This text is included in Høyen's Skrifter of 1871 (p. 182) and reads: "Tror mig! den sikreste og retteste Vej til bestandig at komme i nærmere og nærmere Forbindelse med vore Brødre i Sverig og Norge, er at hævde os selv som Danske, ogsaa i vor Konst at gjøre vor Nationalitet, vort Land, vore Sagn gjældende, at vise, at vi ikke behøve at bruge fremmede Fjer for at smykke os med." __________ Supplemental (24/11/2011) This blog posting has been developed further and used as the basis for the following article: Burch, Stuart (2011) "Ude godt, men hjemme bedst: Dansk og Nordisk Kunst 1750-1900", Danske Museer, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 9-13 "One could not learn history from architecture any more than one could learn it from books. Statues, inscriptions, memorial stones, the names of streets – anything that might throw light upon the past had been systematically altered." George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (orig. pub. 1949), Penguin, 1969, p. 82 |
Para, jämsides med.
En annan sort. Dénis Lindbohm, Bevingaren, 1980: 90 Even a parasite like me should be permitted to feed at the banquet of knowledge
I once posted comments as Bevingaren at guardian.co.uk
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Note All parasitoids are parasites, but not all parasites are parasitoids Parasitoid "A parasite that always ultimately destroys its host" (Oxford English Dictionary) I live off you
And you live off me And the whole world Lives off everybody See we gotta be exploited By somebody, by somebody, by somebody X-Ray Spex <I live off you> Germ Free Adolescents 1978 From symbiosis
to parasitism is a short step. The word is now a virus. William Burroughs
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