AmandaByzewski

[amandabyzewski]

June 6, 2019

Journal 10

           After all this time on the trip, I feel like I have extreme museum fatigue. However, I feel like I learned so much and got to experience amazing things. I feel like I learned a lot about museums and can consider myself a critical visitor. However, I feel I learned even more about street art on this trip. I didn’t know too much about art going in to this trip, so I knew there would be a learning curve. However, everything I learned was interesting to me, partly because I got to see what we learned in person. For example the Bauhaus movement was something I was unfamiliar with, but now I feel like I can understand it better because we got to experience that museum after learning about the timeline of style movements. I also feel I have a better appreciation of street art and urban art. Before this trip I knew who Banksy was, but now I can name several street artists and I have an appreciation and an understanding for why people want to separate street artists from people just tagging buildings. Before this trip I considered all of that graffiti, but now I see the difference and I understand why people use street art to make statements.

           I think there were clear connections between the street art we saw on this trip and the art and artifacts we saw in galleries (not just at Dulwich). Some of the more modern art we saw was about making statements. However, some could say art in the museums was the opposite of street art because usually it was commissioned and was not meant to make a statement. But museums are not just about the art they hold, it is also about how that art is curated. We got to see art and artifacts curated in several different ways, but after analyzing them as a class, I can see how each method has pros and cons. Overall, I feel overwhelmed by this trip, but I feel like I learned a lot. I am glad I have more time to spend in London though; sometimes it feels like there was not enough time to see everything all these places have to offer!

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

June 5, 2019

Journal 9

           It was a bit hard to find information on the Urban Nation Museum for Contemporary Art. A lot of the websites I found were in German. However, I was able to find that the project was started in 2016 with the museum opening in 2017. The architecture of the building plays into the exhibit itself with the exterior walls painted with full murals. One website said the museum is unique because the art is displayed on the architecture. This goes with the theme McClellan and Lindaur talked about with how architecture is a factor of museum visits. The surrounding neighbourhood also appears to be part of the museum as the area became a safe haven for street artists. The One Wall Project from the museum also can be seen on the surrounding buildings. The interior of the building is also unique. It was a house that had most of its separating walls removed. This way art can be displayed in a mostly unobstructed way. 

This institution also calls itself a museum, not a gallery. It feels like a modern art museum with pieces displayed all over, but it has some elements of a traditional museum; it has security guards and wall text explaining larger movements of urban art. The space reminds me a bit of the East Side Gallery. A lot of the art is commissioned like that gallery and it has the urban feel. This answered my own question that I asked the group: is the Urban Gallery more like Shoreditch or the East Side Gallery?

           While there I was interested in how gender played into the exhibits. This was due to one of the first pieces I looked at being by a female artist and a commentary on gender.  The one that sparked my interest in this subject was by Miss Van showing two women in masks. The text about that piece ended with the quote, “empowering women in a society and an art world dominated by men.” That’s what drew my attention to look for female art. One of the texts in the museum also said that urban art has mostly been a male art form. I tried to pay special attention to how women were shown after that. There were more portrayals of women both by female and male artists. Many of the pieces by female artists were about the portrayal of women or trying to empower them. 

 Observations from June 27, 2019: I think it is interesting to compare the Urban Nation Museum to the East Side Gallery due to the fact that they are both commissioned urban art, not just street art. To me there does not seem to be a noticeable difference in quality or content between commissioned urban art and street art. Both can have well known artists and there is overlap between them. I think the Dulwich picture gallery shows how urban art can commission street artists and create really cool results that engage people on multiple levels. The Urban Nation Museum felt like a modern museum and it was something I really enjoyed, especially with my female artist scavenger hunt.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

June 3 2019

Journal 8

           The Bode Museum’s Beyond Compare exhibit was the perfect realization of Vogel’s points about displaying African art. I haven’t been to many African art exhibits before this, aside from the exhibit we saw at the British Museum, however the Beyond Compare was a totally different experience. I have only seen objects and cultures compared like that once before in a museum; it was an exhibit about mummies comparing Egyptian mummies to Peruvian mummies. However, even for that exhibit there was some separation the two different cultures were never in the same case. Beyond Compare did a good job showcasing African art in a unique perspective. However, this show is still not without its problems. A lot of the item label is required background knowledge or required the visitor to read surrounding wall text to completely understand the description. Another problem was the fact that for a lot of the African item description, most of the test itself was about its European companion piece. So there is still progress to be made with the African art displays.

           The East Side Gallery was totally different from any gallery or museum I’ve been to. It calls itself an outdoor gallery, but for me it brought up questions of what is street art and what is art. I feel like I’ve been asking what is art on the trip, especially at the Ashmolean. The East Side Gallery I liked some of the street art on the back more than I liked some of the stuff on the front. Some of the commissioned pieces seemed almost too simple to be on a memorial. It was interesting to compare that type of art to the “traditional” African and European Art we saw in the Bode Museum.

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[amandabyzewski]

June 2 2019,

Journal 7

           At the Ashmolean Museum, we got a special look at some of the items in the Ashmolean’s collection. The Ashmolean also made me question the categorization of items in museums as either art or archeology because the museum calls itself a museum of art and archeology.

           The behind the scenes tour we got at the Ashmolean from Jim has been one of my favorite museum experiences on this trip It made me rethink how I looked at objects, as at one point Jim said, “every item had a personal story.” Some of the objects we saw on display and also just as a class reminded me of this. AS we learned for this class and as Vogel said, “Almost nothing displayed in museums was made to be seen in them.” These objects all belonged to people in history and now centuries later they still fascinate people.

           I also rethought these objects because I wanted to determine what was art to the museum and what was archaeology. When I asked Jim he said something along the lines of even if it was found with archeology it can still be art unless it’s something like a pot shared. I found this true because pieces like the jewel we saw were displayed in a way that made them look like important art. The jewel was on a pedestal in a lit case by itself in the middle of the room. However, another display in that room discussed archaeology and how these objects were found. This museum showed me how objects can be both art and artifact.

However, the question of art and artifact gets into the question of Eastern cultures versus Western cultures. In Western cultures we have a pretty good idea of what is art in this culture. However, for Eastern art museums can play a large role in how we interpret other cultures. For example, in the Ashmolean the Asian art we saw was pottery and the exhibit talked about the technical aspects of how that pottery was created.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

May 27-28, 2019

Journal 6

           At the Horniman Museum we saw a very well laid out Anthropology exhibit. The world history exhibit was one of my favorites. The exhibit was laid out by culture sand the section on Europe was actually more in the back, not in the front or middle like at other institutions we’ve been at. So there was less of a focus on it. This place also showed the whole stories of these places and cultures, showing them as societies that exist today and continue to affect the world not just as distant wonders to marvel at. These exhibits were an example of Iconoclash because they showed traditional culture pieces like traditional artifacts next to things like IPhones, showing how much these cultures can change.

           One other interesting thing about the world cultures exhibit was the wall of categories of things. Objects were just presented by category, you had to look away from the object and look below it to see any didactic material about the object or any information about its culture. This does a great job of showing how many motifs and ideas carry through different cultures. I also liked how the objects in the display had overlapping categories, I know this annoyed some students, but I liked that it showed how hard it is to classify objects and why we can’t always trust when museums classify objects for us.

           One other thing that made this museum unique from others we looked at was that this museum was made for families and children. In a lot of ways it was created similarly to the Soane Museum and the British Museum in that it was originally created as a private collection museum and has grown. However, this one still has a lot of the original collection on display the way it was displayed back in 1902. This was in the Natural History exhibit, housing the museums most well0known specimen. However, despite these claims to fame this exhibit was less populated because it was less appealing to families and kids. I think the Horniman did a good job of appealing to families overall and presenting a lot of new information and new ways to think about their existing ideas about concepts.

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[amandabyzewski]

May 26, 2019

Journal 5

           Today, on my free day, some friends and I went to the Tower of London. I knew that it was a historical site and a heritage site, but I didn’t realize how much of the place had been converted. Of course there were usual updates, like gift shops and places to eat, but a lot of the towers themselves were now museums. The conversion of an existing space made this similar to the Tate Modern. These buildings obviously weren’t built to hold a lot of people or show off a lot of artifacts. While the architecture is impressive, this has nothing to do to celebrate the knowledge inside, this was just decided they needed to tell the history of.

           The comparisons to other museums we’ve been to did not end there. Once inside, my friends and I also compared the experience to both the Soane Museum and the Dinosaur Museum. It felt like the Soane because the space was overwhelming and the first few rooms didn’t have much material explaining anything or at least none I got a chance to read due to the crowd. The amount of families in this museum reminded me of the dinosaur exhibit and the fact that there was a strict path that had to be followed to get through the space. While the stuff on display was interesting there was hardly a point one could pause and enjoy it. The space was not made for all those people, but unfortunately, that’s what museums at sites like this have to work with. At one point though, I pointed out people don’t come to see the museum; they come to see the Tower of London as a site. The museum is just there and if they learn anything from it, it’s a bonus.

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[amandabyzewski]

May 25, 2019

Journal 4

           Today at the Tate Modern I think we saw an area that exemplified the “Bilbao effect.” The area had been an industrial space that died down eventually leading to the power factory to close. With the Tate Modern taking over that factory space we saw how much the neighborhood expanded. We could even see into the apartments of the neighboring buildings. We looked up the price of these flats after peeking into them at the top of the museum; the price was 2.5 million pounds. The neighborhood around the museum also had trendy stores and restaurants. The museum itself was known for the view and had floors for restaurants that had nothing to do with the art inside.

           The architecture itself was strange to me. It was one of the more modern museums we’ve been to. I did like what Kate said about appreciating the industry and history of the space, but personally I didn’t feel like the space was well made for showing art. The newer side felt too dark, separating art in dark cylinders. The original side felt too small. Some rooms worked but others had competing art and felt more like the traditional crowded gallery spaces. I don’t know if either of these is the best way to display modern or any type of art.

           I do feel like this modern architecture only works for displaying modern art, but maybe that’s because I’ve grown used to the “temples of knowledge” I’ve seen at other museums.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

May 24, 2019

Journal 3

           The Victoria and Albert Museum has a similar history to other museums in London. It was created to educate all classes of people. Originally called the Museum of Manufactures it was supposed to show lower classes good and modern designs. They have collections of not only art but also furniture, carpets, wallpaper, and other things in everyday use.

            The museum that exists now takes the form of a Greek temple complete with a courtyard inside the museum. Victoria helped lay a stone for this museum herself. Once it again this museum functions as a place of worship for knowledge and education.

           The new Medieval and Renaissance Galleries were an interesting expansion to the original mission of educating the masses and bringing Britain to the modern world. These new galleries try to show a new perspective of the medieval ages to a modern audience. These exhibits are well-lit playing on the idea of the Middle Ages as the Dark Ages. It shows how similar Medieval art and Renaissance art is, how it was a progression. These exhibits also show Christianity in a way that not all museum-goers are used to. It does not display Christianity as the “right way,” it shows it just as a belief at the time that changed over the periods. This is more similar to how other religions are displayed in the museum. These help try to change the existing perspectives of visitors, helping people to appreciate art in its original context and learn something new about a common period.

           Something I noticed in the Medieval and Renaissance art exhibit was not only were exhibits separated by periods, but also to me they were curated to look like the original context for the work. Some rooms were reminiscent of churches and felt like Cathedrals I’ve been to in Italy (despite the new presentation of Christianity). The first room our room went into felt like a courtyard with all the outdoor façade and the sculptures whose didactic material said they were probably intended to be displayed in gardens. That room felt like a courtyard partly due to natural lighting. Once again lighting played a role in the design of these exhibits.

Observations from June 27, 2019: I was able to go back to the V&A museum with my dad after this class. I would have to say that the V&A was my favorite museum I got to see on this trip. With my dad, we looked at other exhibits that interested us. It was interesting to see how differently they were all curated. Most of the museum seems to organize their exhibits chronologically. This was true of the Medieval and Renaissance exhibit we saw and it was also true in the gem room and the theater exhibit my dad and I saw. However, the Medieval Gallery we saw as a group was one of the most extensive exhibits and one of the only ones trying to show the objects in the original contexts.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

May 22, 2019

Journal 2

           This evening we saw Hamilton. I’ve been a fan of the soundtrack practically since it first came out. However, this was the first time I’ve gotten to see the show. The readings “Historians on Hamilton,” however, refreshed my perspective on the show. It showed me that I could be critical of a work I like but also appreciate what the work does. As Dr. Helfgott mentioned when we were leaving the theater, the musical just leaves you feeling passionate about Hamilton, about the American Revolution (which I imagine was odd for a British audience), and passionate about history. As Adelman mentioned some historians love this musical because it sparks a passion for history, or at least an interest in some part of it. I also thought Adelman’s point about Helpless/Satisfied was interesting. It is a good introduction to events having more than one perspective. The staging in those scenes were incredible, because during satisfied you saw why Angelica was standing in the middle of the stage during part of Helpless. Things got explained when other perspectives were offered. I also thought Adelman’s point fit with the final number of the show, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” The whole show Aaron Burr has been the narrator, introducing Hamilton in all the songs, but when the question “Who tells your story?” is asked Eliza is the one who comes forward, not Burr. Eliza then lists all the ways she worked on continuing and preserving Hamilton’s legacy by putting herself “back in the narrative.” It is a powerful ending, however that does not mean the show is perfect. I did not have to read “Historians on Hamilton” to know that things are inaccurate. One historical inaccuracy that is funny to me is that in Satisfied, Angelica sings her father has no sons, when in reality the Schulyer Sisters did have older brothers. Miranda just had to figure out a simple reason why Angelica would refuse (or 3 reasons in this case). I can understand the critique of some historians, but now after the show, I see the value Hamilton has.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

May 21, 2019

Journal 1

           Today we saw art both in a museum context and “street art.” However, some of the art on the street was almost presented in a museum context. The art we saw today by Banksy was all enclosed in glass and had cameras so no one else could tag it. I know Banksy became known as a street artist, but as we mentioned on the tour his work is worth millions and is being sold at auction houses. To me and according to Riggle, this was not street art. This is because his pieces become isolated from the street. They have glass put around them once they are found. This means they no longer rely on the context of the street or have the possibility of being affected by the street. No other street art today was treated like that. I agree with Riggle that art has to have some connection to the street to be street art. However, I disagree with some of the things said on the tour, like that street art has to be illegal. While I did like some of the more illegal art like the paste-ups, some of the approved murals were often more pleasing to me, therefore I consider them street art even though the artist had permission.

           The other thing that stood out to me today was the discussion of repatriation at the British museum. Dr. Harris and Dr. Helfgott pointed out there were only a couple of items that were asked to be returned, the Pantheon Friezes and the African bronze plates. Both these items were talked about in a way that excused the museum for having them. The friezes were “saved.” This reminded me of McClellan and Cuno and their talks about encyclopedic museums. While I agree culture should be shared and open for people to learn, I don’t think that should be an excuse for not returning objects. However, that opens the question of what should be returned, so museums don’t have to give everything back once they start. I believe religious objects and objects that still hold power for civilizations should be given back, if the people want them. In the African exhibit the “objects of power” were separated and contained, showing the museum may believe these objects still have power. However, there is no right answer with repatriation because the friezes have become almost a part of British history and certainly a part of the British Museum canon. These are interesting questions I will continue to think about this trip.

@worldsofwonder2019

[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 10:

One other type of “museum” we got to see was historical sites. Some museums were set up in the original place they were collected, like the Soane museum, but the historical sites like Hampton Court have the benefit of original structures, furniture, and history. Hampton Court was one of my favorite places because they made the castle so immersive. The kitchens really had food cooking and there was ambient noises and conversations from Henry VIII’s time period. I wish more museums had more immersive elements like these.

Real food in the kitchen. We arrived right before their cooking demonstration.

Original stained glass with coats of arms from different English royalty. Different parts of the castle were designed by Henry’s different wives so the castle has many different influences.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 9:

To me street art was only street art if the artist was making a statement about something. We saw some bigger street artists making statements and some unknown people making their own statements. Some artists had to get permission for the larger work, but it was still a statement about their town or something else in society.

Street art in Shoreditch.

A Paste-Up in Berlin.

Altered Street Art in Berlin.

Sculpture in Berlin.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 8:

I learned that museums have fake objects in them. The objects are sometimes made up of original parts, but the sum is something new that was created with the intent to sell. However, the museum does not advertise this fact, they let visitors believe the objects are real artifacts from the time period. The times I saw it the objects were Ancient Greek or Roman in style. They were created by the artist Piranesi using some original parts. However, I think museums have a responsibility to tell their audience these objects were manufactured and not original to the period.

A “Greek” Piranesi Sculpture.

A close up detail of the statue where you can see a line on the muzzle where the ram has either been changed or repaired before it was added to the rest of the sculpture.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 7:

On this trip we saw a lot of European art, but we also discussed how African art was displayed in European institutions. The British Museum stuffed all the African art in the basement with a label saying “Africa” and an arrow pointing down to it. No other place was displayed like that. In contrast, the Bode Museum in Berlin compared African art to European art and showed they are on the same level. The Bode handled the display of this other culture in a much better way.

African Art from the British Museum.

A sign from the Bode Museum comparing European art to African art showing the similarities of the pieces. While this exhibit still wasn’t perfect, it was a lot better at displaying this different art.

A sketch of mine of an African ancestral figure in the Bode Museum.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 6:

One thing on this trip that we had to define for ourselves was street art. For me I decided street art is reliant on the street and is the artists making a personal statement. I do not feel commissioned art fits into that definition so personally I made the distinction between street art and urban art.

Street art from Berlin.

Commissioned urban art from the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin.

My sketch  of some of the commissioned art from the Urban Nation Museum.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 5:

One thing that we were told to look at on this trip was architecture of museums. There was even a whole chapter about that by McClellan. Most of the architecture I found most impressive looked like ancient Greek or Roman temples. And one person on this trip described museums as temples to knowledge, so I found these exteriors impressive and good indicators of the knowledge they contained.

The National Gallery Exterior

The British Museum backside exterior

The V&A Exterior

The Tate Britain Exterior

The Tate Modern Exterior. This was an exception to the “temples of knowledge” it was built into an old factory building, but this better suits the modern art inside. It is not promising a temple to knowledge, but some different perspectives on life. Like how what looks like a factory can actually hold valuable art.

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[amandabyzewski]

Multimedia Journal 4:

One exhibit on this trip I did not like was the dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London. While I was not the intended audience (it was meant for families with little kids), I still think it was not laid out well. There were too many times where people would crowd around certain spots (usually around the robotic dinosaurs - see video below) and they wouldn’t even notice the real dinosaur bones above our heads. Which is another complaint, the catwalk to see the bones was closed, so the best look you could get at real dinosaur bones was from a strange angle below them. While the exhibit did keep the interests of the kids with models and robotics, I was ready to leave shortly after I entered.

Some of the real dinosaur bones, above all the visitors.

A model in the exhibit, that interested the families and kids.

https://youtu.be/rUsMn9i-Q74?t=76

Video is not mine - but it shows the t-Rex everyone was crowded around in this exhibit.

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