‘Museums write and perform historical script through their collections and exhibitions.’ (Garoian, 2001, p.4)
A piece of art or object in the James Usher gallery has a story behind it, it is very clear James Usher collected many things and they were cared for very well. We can see this through the paintings James Usher created himself of his collection in cabinets presented in his home. The objects like Garoian states are historical scripts and I think they should be explored.
We wanted to explore these historical scripts and tell them to the public. We completed a task a few weeks ago where we created texts that came from inside the artworks. We imagined and created new possibilities and explanations of the artwork in the gallery.
I believe the artwork should be questioned although the gallery is thought to be one of the most trusted and respected places as the public believe what the gallery tells them. I think there are still questions within the artwork as limited information is given. However, I am not suggesting one should be told how many times James Usher used the tea cups and saucers or where the artwork was hung. ‘While [artwork] are conserved, preserved and secured for posterity to dialogue, with history to expose, examine and critique cultural codes.’ (Garoian, 2001, p.4) I believe artwork should be investigated, the audience should create their own stories within artwork.
‘Performing in the museum is a dialogic process, a play between the public narratives of the museum and the private narrative of the viewer.’ (Garoian, 2001, p.7). this is what we hope to convey to audiences. Our group will tell the story of the artwork in the gallery, where we hope that dialogue will convey a deeper meaning to the artwork that may have not previously occurred.
Works Cited
Garoian, Charles, (2001) Performing the Museum, Studies in Art Education, 42 (3) p.234-248.