Conversation IV: Construction/Destruction

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Conversation IV: Construction/Destruction
Conversation IV: Construction/Destruction
Bertram Lyons, curator
20/21 Gallery, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever,” John Keats (1795-1821)

“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold,” William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Art museums hold collections of constructed “things of beauty”-objects and groups of objects crafted and created by individuals or groups of individuals. Time and nature, however, have a secret. Once constructed, “things of beauty” begin an inevitable dance with destruction. Just how long can they last?

In response to John Keats, a museum worker will more likely note that a thing of beauty is a joy for a limited period of time depending on the medium of the object and its exposure to light and moisture. This practical assessment highlights a major challenge museums face: we care for objects that are inherently ephemeral. Art represents the cultural heritage of humanity and museums strive to safeguard that heritage. As we work to preserve our collections for future generations we must acknowledge that these objects will not last forever. Organic materials deteriorate rapidly, and objects can be damaged by pests, light, water, fire, or by accident. Ironically, when we place a delicate object on view in a gallery we incrementally hasten its eventual destruction. Museums battle this eventuality by attempting to preserve the lives of our objects for as long as possible.

There are many ways to perceive issues of preservation and conservation. Indigenous perspectives, for example, sometimes differ from Western museum practices. If an object is repatriated (returned to the descendants of its maker) indigenous caretakers may return it to use or bury it. Some indigenous peoples also believe certain objects that remain in museum collections should not be conserved or restored because the objects themselves are living entities and those treatments would interfere with their natural life cycle, which includes creation, or birth, and eventual death. Understanding and respecting indigenous perspectives is one way in which museums take responsibility for the stewardship of objects that represent living traditions. Moreover, it is important that museums continue to engage in the discourse surrounding the nature of cultural heritage objects and the issues related to the permanence and persistence of these “things of beauty.”

These works on view in our process space exemplify the cycle of construction and destruction taking place within the Spencer’s collection.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 169 Dec-2008, Jayme Johnson I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. The installation of the new 20/21 Conversation wall, “Construction/Deconstruction,” provides the viewer with a stimulating juxtaposition of two forces that are so common in everyday life. Curated by Bertram Lyons, the director’s intern, the exhibition examines these two forces through works in a variety of media - including photographs, prints, and videos. The imagery ranges from architectural construction and demolition to graffiti, another medium that can arguably be seen as both constructive and destructive. The Construction/Deconstruction conversation poses questions about the way both of these forces affect out daily lives and the society we inhabit. In addition to the new conversation wall, the 20/21 gallery also has a new construction of its own. Created by exhibition designer Richard Klocke, an elaborate new steel wall that separates the conversation area from the permanent collection space will be used to display works of art as well as form an architecturally engaging piece in it own right. With thanks to Jayme Johnson for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.

Documents