THE WHITE CUBE
stripped of it's context, works lose a part of themselves in this empty room. the western invention of the white cube gallery removes works from their utilitarian, historical, and cultural space. however, perhaps they gain something new. a new perspective. a new focus. a new audience. ponder this as you gaze. is it worth losing something if there is something to gain?
walk with me this way...
Giuseppe Castiglione (Italian, 1688-1766)
Portrait of Emperor Qianlong in Court Clothes of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty
1736
silk
Penelope Umbrico (American, b. 1957)
541,795 Suns from Sunsets from Flickr (Partial) 1/23/06 (detail)
2006
2000 machine c-prints, each 4 x 6 in
© Penelope Umbrico
a new movement is changing the ways museums are organizing their collection is underway. rather than dividing object based on time and geographics, objects of diverse eras and locations are being joined based on themes. what theme ties these works together? is it between objects? or as a whole?
Robert Smithson (American, 1938-1973)
Map of Broken Glass (Atlantis)
1969
glass
© Holt/Smithson Foundation
Shirin Neshat (Iranian-American, b. 1957)
1999
two screen video installation
© Shirin Neshat
Shirin Neshat (Iranian-American, b. 1957)
1998
two screen video installation
© Shirin Neshat