Entry #13: Video Reflection Art Curation

1. For each video list/discuss the key concepts you learned.

An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art: The director was not impressed with certain works of art. There is a lot of thought that goes into what is presented and shown. The artworks of the women facing away from the audience (Woman Seen From the Back) get people to think about so much and there is a mystery that lingers which creates a thrilling feeling while looking. Curators should strive for their audiences to be intrigued, wondering, and fully engaged instead of being bored and disinterested. Water emersion takes off stains from drawings which is pretty cool. Conservation is not always key, they want authenticity with the artworks itself, however, sometimes it is needed when artworks are no longer visible or something happens to it such as staining, mold, burns, etc. Some works are better left alone even when damaged. 

LIVE Q&A with MoMA Curator Anne Umland (April 24): The Museum was founded in 1929. The art of the "now" is as important as the art in the past. A monographic gallery is when all of the works installed in that particular gallery are by one artist. The lady was very detailed when explaining the different works and this was a good model on how things should be explained. It takes years for curators to put together their ideas, select the artworks they want to display, and also get them into the museum for its display. The most important things about being a curator are being open-minded and being a perfectionist. Rent isn't paid for the pictures borrowed but a loan fee may be charged depending on the institution. 

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art: Lowbrow= lacking in taste (negative connotation). Naked girls and etc. were included in art like this. Originally it meant pornographic art. there was a distinction between fine artists, commercial artists, and graphic artists. Rock posters consisted of lowbrow imagery and classic 60's psychedelia. People associated good art with the East Coast, especially New York City.   

2. Do the videos relate to the creation of your Art Exhibition project? If yes, explain how. If no, explain why not.

The videos do relate to the creation of what would be my art exhibition project. The videos got me to think about what people would want to see and that impression is everything. The way things are put together and their level of appeal will be important to the viewer. The videos also showed me how descriptive I have to become, as were the art curators in the videos had a lot of knowledge about the artworks that were displayed in the gallery.

3. What is your opinion of the films? Do they add depth to understanding of the art concepts you practiced while creating your curation project? 

The films were very informative. before watching all of the films, I did not know what an Art Curator was and I didn't understand how I can become one to do this project but now I feel somewhat confident that I can complete the project. I liked the knowledge of the Art Curators and how much they knew about the artworks they studied them and presented them well. This will help me to be precise while creating my own project and choosing pieces of art wisely.