Gallery Practices: 2011

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

assesment

1. Because of my work and class schedule I wasn't as able to help outside of class time as I would have like although I did band some cards for the faculty show, sanded down display pillars, etc. during class. I try to get in as many hours at work possible because it is based on how many credit apps you can get and if I am doing poorly in that respect then I don't get many hours which leads to less pay and less money toward my car payment and other expenses for school.

2. Again given class and work schedule I would often put posting on the back burner, I would take notes on what we were to write about but I often had trouble remembering to log on and write a blog. while a paper journal might be easier a blog is good advertising.

3. I think if the class was broken into teams that rotated for set up and take down it would allow for everyone to participate equally in a task rather than have everyone in the gallery at once leaving some to stand around not sure what to do.

4. the gallery profile was a great project because it showcases galleries others may not have heard of my only suggestion is that profiles are not allowed to repeat.

Botero

I really enjoyed the Botero exhibit, the use of color on the walls allowed for the colors in his work to pop really well. Putting the walls into a diamond shape allowed visitors to be pulled around the corner to look at the other works, the use of bright lighting allowed to see all the little details in the work that allowed to see Botero's sense of humor such the smiling worm in the pear.

I don't see any bottle necking happening because there is enough open space and the works are large enough that multiple people can look at the works at once. A few of his works were on the darker more morbid side so that may not appeal to some audience members along with the sexual nature of other works but over all I believe members over and under 25 would enjoy the exhibit.

I especially liked the use of the computer to create a story for two of his works which showed that everyone had their own interpretation of his works; the picnic and the woman falling from the balcony. Although going through the stories many of the stories had the same theme; infidelity and murder. This shows that while everyone can have their own interpretation a general consensus can be met about the subject.

Aminah Robinson

While I really enjoyed Aminah Robinson's work I felt that the room the work was displayed was very dark with very little natural light coming in which is a shame considering how bright and colorful her work is. The space was very small while there was enough room to walk around and even sit I feel that if someone had a wheel chair they wouldn't be able to get around the large tables the work was displayed on very well.

The labeling was large and in the same handwritten font as used in her work and are made of paper much like the rest of her work which is displayed in a cardboard framed box with glass to look through on either side so you can see the details of the work on either side. THe fonts were very large and easy to read in the low lighting so that was helpful, especially if visitors are older and can't read as well.

The pages on display were very tempting to touch but since visitors weren't allowed to it was a good idea to have the "make your own" page table where visitors could make a page for the toledo book styled after Robinson. A lot of people could enjoy this exhibit despite their age because of the background of history and bright colors.

shedding some light on the situation

While the gallery has a lot of natural light thanks to a large window near the glass door entrance there are still track lights that could be fitted with spot and flood lights. Spot lights give a focused beam of light onto whatever you direct the can holding the bulb. Flood lights give a broader beam of light and gives light across a greater amount of space.

if you want to properly light a 2D work you must use indirect lighting where you take two flood lights and use the direct light bouncing off an intermediate surface onto the artwork. The ceiling which should be white or off white is that it produces even indirect light that doesn't fade anything in the room. The light source should be about ten feet from the object using fifty to sixty to watt bulbs anything stronger will damage and discolor the image over time.

Documentation of Juried Exhibition- so many numbers....

A lot of entries were submitted for the Student Show this year with different mediums creating a inventory method was difficult because there were different aspects to consider; do we separate by medium? size? do we create separate labels for each medium? do we use letters? Once it was decided to keep it simple and just use numbers.

   Other commercial galleries would most likely have a more detailed permanent system to separate by medium giving intricate details of the work such as dimensions, medium, type of product used, any flaws or damage that exists or existed before coming into the possession of the gallery, and any damage that may have occurred in unpacking.

   An artist would want to make inventory of the medium, dimensions, type of product used, the condition of the work before packing and shipping, and the insurance value along with any shipping information such as when it was sent out and when it should reach its destination.

  While condition reports do the same thing a museum or gallery can use them to keep records for legal reasons should anything happen to the work. Taking photos of a work helps greatly with this so that proof can be given. For the CVA gallery it would be best to take a condition report of how the piece arrived to the gallery, how the artist wants the pice hung/displayed/ wether gloves are to be used etc. since the gallery does not have much funding it would be best to take as much evidence as possible if something should happen to the work that isn't the gallery's fault to avoid a legal situation.

Make up- Faculty Exhibition opening

Due to work I was unable to attend the faculty show but had heard many good things about it, after walking through the gallery when I had a free moment I was able to look over how the final set up flowed.

When first setting up I was worried about the hanging piece because I didn't know how or where it would hang and if it was low to the ground. The height it was set was fine though I worried about children potentially bumping into it the chains seemed to be strong enough to prevent any damage. The pieces were separated enough that there was enough room for flow without anyone bumping into someone looking at a piece.

The gray walls made the colors of the work really pop and while the labels were at a comfortable reading height I thought they were a little small but I can see this drawing the person looking at the art to draw them in closer. Keeping the font simple was a good choice to keep from distracting from the art and gave a more professional feel.

The biggest difficulty of placing this gallery was how different all the works were, some used bold colors and strokes while others used softer colors and photography or paint. Everything was arranged well so that no one side was one color palette which could draw people across and around the room.

I think museum patrons of all ages would enjoy the show the art isn't so modern that those of over twenty five would be turned away. I don't see any components being misused or mistreated unless the ceramics had not been in the niche, however if someone took pictures and used them as their own that would be misuse. Or if someone spilled food and drink that could be mistreatment but I do not see that being a problem in the gallery.