as promised, here's what the second MA Student Exhibition Group have been up to at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery at the Un
iversity........their project was to install two new displays in the cases in one of the exhibition rooms at the gallery. They were dealing with some rare and fragile ceramic museum objects so the white gloves are not merely a fashion statement, but instruments of authority!......the students constructed their exhibiton displays with s
ome very interesting narratives, directing attention to the sculptural, the painterly and the functionality of 18th century ceramics and highlighting their social and cultural use......There was some considerable deliberation on the aesthetics of display (as you can see!) but I think the results are quite striking (and informative)....do take a look and let us know what you think!
We will be returning to assess the effectivity of both the Ceramics Exhibition and the Sculpture Trail Exhibition at the end of the module.....work is always 'in progress'...
Mark
I particularly like the use of the wallpaper as a runner to give an indication of what sort of class would have used these objects, also backed up by the texts on social history. We originally wanted quotes on the wall in the background but decided this would detract from the objects. I also liked the labels in the 'dinner' cabinet from recipe books of the time - I felt they brought the display to life, I feel they were more effective than displays in places such as Harewood House where this dishes are displayed with plastic fruit etc. in for the same effect. The recipe cards add interest for visitors as some of the ingredients in them will be unknown to visitors today. As Natasha put it "the element of the unknown" to intrigue visitors.
ReplyDeleteI think it is also very interesting to note that we were working with the collections of Dr. Wittaker and Mr. F.G. Foster, so we did not have complete curatorial control. We would have preferred a larger variety for the tea cabinet, including waste bowls and cups and saucers. It is interesting to try to understand the ideas behind the collections, and why each man chose to collect and save the pieces of pottery which we are so lucky to now have as a part of the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery collection. Working with what we were given, we managed to make a cohesive and lovely show which is both pleasing and informative.
ReplyDeleteDuring the time while we were working on this project, we had taken several trips to the Leeds City Art Gallery, where there is currently a show on display focusing on Surrealism. In a similar situation to ours, the gallery was faced with the problem of attempting to display the mixed and far ranging collection of a husband and wife. While collecting patterns sometimes are clear, other collectors tend to simply purchase the art that they love... which often leads to a collection unified by nothing other than the collector himself. In cases such as these, I think LCAG was correct in displaying the work in an 'arranged clutter' format which is reminiscent of the home of the collectors themselves. This allows the art to speak for itself, and dialogues to be created between the pieces without a forced narrative which might not exist at all.