Comments on: Photography, Unveiled

By: Photo Display

Photo Display — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 01:53:08 +0000

Nice blog. A lot of articles

By: cshteynberg

cshteynberg — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:09:42 +0000

This practice of covering works of art with a curtain is something that artist Fred Wilson did in his installation “so much trouble in the world Believe it or Not!” (http://hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu/exhibitions/fredwilson/fredwilsonpressr.html)at the Hood Museum of Art when I worked there. In his case, the cloth acted as more of a shroud for some Goya prints from the series “The Disasters of War”–the whole effect was very striking and moving, especially considering the context of the work and exhibit!

By: david evans

david evans — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:21:08 +0000

There is a gallery with rare and ancient photography in New Orleans (at one time on Royale St. next to the Monteleon Hotel… but since moved elsewhere) who used the same cloth-over-image system for the rarer and more delicate old photo images on display. It was almost magical to be allowed to reveal the image to oneself by lifting the covering cloth. Kudos to the museum for using the technique.

As to Mr. Buitron’s comment: On the matter of keeping the images far away from the museum visitor, I am reminded of a major show of textiles at the Art Institute of Chicago where the lighting at the show was so low that I returned to it a second time with a flashlight so I could actually see the work on display (this was years ago… very pre-9/11) and a guard and docent escorted me, under vigorous protest, from the premises. I went back a third time with an incident light meter and measured 4 lumens at the surface of one piece. I later learned that the curator of the section was widely referred to as the “Queen of Darkness.”

When I die I want my tombstone to reflect my one claim to fame: “Thrown out of the Art Institute of Chicago on orders of the Queen of Darkness.”

By: Michael Buitron

Michael Buitron — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:57:17 +0000

The great thing about Cotton’s gesture is that it inverts the common museum practice with fragile art. Rather than pushing the viewer further away, it invites her closer, creating a physical and intimate relationship with the work. I’ve always enjoyed those moments when I encountered a work of art (often a book) that was displayed with a pair of cotton gloves.