Genuine question, and feel free to ignore if you don't want to answer, but could you elaborate on the collections post? What are your own thoughts on the subject?
Okay so "Fewer and Finer" means the director wants fewer pieces on display/accessioned and those pieces are to be finer quality.
Sounds reasonable, right?
No.
In reality this pisses-off guests who have come (in some instances from far internationally) to see pieces in our very vast and encyclopedic collection, that have been pulled from display because they don't meet the qualifications of 'finer'. This is already happening with our textiles gallery and our Japanese ink collection--both of which are closed because we need to use the spaces for storage of all the works that are being pulled from display.
I have a huge issue with the concept of 'finer quality' art. Who decides what is 'good' art? Why do they get to decide? How are they deciding what is and isn't 'good' art?
If you've been following me, you know one of my repeated quotes is that "There's no such thing as bad art. There is stupid art, but you have to intend to make that." Meaning that all art is worthy of display, worthy of engagement, worthy of being valued even if the message it conveys is 'wouldn't it be rad if I taped a banana to a wall?'
What people see in museums shapes what they understand to be of importance. So when you only see a handful of the same artists that have already saturated the public consciousness, you internalize that this is the measure of all art. As a result, anything that falls outside of those names becomes 'bad' or 'lesser'. Now remember that several cultures did not have the same concept of artist as European tradition. As well many artworks were pillaged, or simply did not have a name associated with it in the first place. Other artworks are objects that don't fit standard notions of art mediums; things like woven basketry, contemporary costumery, beaded purses, etc. The line so easily divides along Race, which impacts how guests see themselves, and not in a good way. Representation matters.
So, yes. "Fewer and Finer" fills me with ungodly rage because it reinforces Eurocentric art history and discourages guests from expanding their view of art. It stagnates engagement with culture.
