Module 13

Video Review:

1) Key Concepts
An Acquiring Mind: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Monographic gallery: all works installed by a single artist
• Philippe de Montebello was the longest-serving director of The Met, for over 31 years
• It is the job of the curator to capture the audience's attention
• The flow of the gallery is an important component that is considered by the curator
• There are approximately 2 million works of art in the museum's collection
• Montebello guided the acquisition of around 84,000 works of art

LIVE Q&A with MoMA Curator Anne Umland (April 24)

• MoMA was founded in 1929 and was meant to highlight the value of modern art 
• Modern art is often debated by experts
• Curators should remain open-minded and be a "perfectionist"
• The curator and exhibition designer must work together

The Lowdown on Lowbrow: West Coast Pop Art

• "Lowbrow" is used to describe art that nobody knows how to categorize
• Atomic/Space Age: post-World War II period, the late 40s through mid-60s, heavily influenced by the American consumer culture
• It is the job of the artist to create and let someone else analyze
• Lowbrow features pop culture references which are relatable to the general population
• Robert Williams coined the term "lowbrow"
• Lowbrow is often looked down upon or not taken seriously among the art community

2) The films heavily relate to the art curation project at hand. The films discuss the process, expectations, and role of an art curator. The films highlight how important presentation and aesthetic is to a curator. The films also show just how difficult the curation process can be because not everyone views art the same. However, it is the job of the curator to be knowledgeable and able to adequately discuss the art.

3) I liked these videos because I think it was interesting to see a different role in the art community, other than an artist. It is easy to assume that artists create art and museums just put it on display but there is a lot of hard work that goes into what happens behind the scenes.