Description
Book Synopsis: How do you keep the cracks in Starry Night from spreading? How do you prevent artworks made of hugs or candies from disappearing? How do you render a fading photograph eternal—or should you attempt it at all? These are some of the questions that conservators, curators, registrars, and exhibition designers dealing with contemporary art face on a daily basis. In Still Life, Fernando Domínguez Rubio delves into one of the most important museums of the world, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, to explore the day-to-day dilemmas that museum workers face when the immortal artworks that we see in the exhibition room reveal themselves to be slowly unfolding disasters.
Still Life offers a fascinating and detailed ethnographic account of what it takes to prevent these disasters from happening. Going behind the scenes at MoMA, Domínguez Rubio provides a rare view of the vast technological apparatus—from climatic infrastructures and storage facilities, to conservation labs and machine rooms—and teams of workers—from conservators and engineers to guards and couriers—who fight to hold artworks still. As MoMA reopens after a massive expansion and rearranging of its space and collections, Still Life not only offers a much-needed account of the spaces, actors, and forms of labor traditionally left out of the main narratives of art, but it also offers a timely meditation on how far we, as a society, are willing to go to keep the things we value from disappearing into oblivion.
Details
Immerse yourself in the intriguing world of museum conservation with Still Life: Ecologies of the Modern Imagination at the Art Museum. Discover the behind-the-scenes dilemmas faced by museum professionals at the iconic Museum of Modern Art in New York as they work tirelessly to preserve immortal artworks from unfolding disasters. Fernando Domínguez Rubio's captivating ethnographic account sheds light on the technological marvels and dedicated teams who safeguard priceless treasures from the ravages of time.
Explore the inner workings of MoMA's climatic infrastructures, conservation labs, and storage facilities, where conservators, engineers, guards, and couriers unite to protect artworks from fading, cracking, or disappearing altogether. Still Life offers a rare glimpse into the meticulous efforts required to maintain the integrity and longevity of cherished masterpieces, highlighting the unsung heroes who labor tirelessly to keep art alive.
With MoMA undergoing a major transformation and reopening to the world, now is the perfect time to delve into the critical role played by those dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage. Gain a deeper appreciation for the vast array of skills and technologies employed in the realm of museum conservation, and ponder the profound question of how far society should go to safeguard the art that shapes our collective imagination.
Ready to embark on a journey into the heart of artistic preservation? Experience the captivating world of museum conservation with Still Life: Ecologies of the Modern Imagination at the Art Museum. Order your copy today!
Discover More Best Sellers in Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions
Shop Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions
René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass
$86.00
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - René Lalique: Enchanted by Glass
Vatican Museums: 100 Works Not to be Missed
$78.49
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - Vatican Museums: 100 Works Not to be Missed
$59.99
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - Scene of the Crime: Exhibition held at Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center on July 23-October 5, 1997
Elegant Eating: Four Hundred Years of Dining in Style
$1.30
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - Elegant Eating: Four Hundred Years of Dining in Style
Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper
$45.00
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper
Tate: Dante Gabriel Rossetti Wall Calendar 2024 (Art Calendar)
$11.86
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - Tate: Dante Gabriel Rossetti Wall Calendar 2024 (Art Calendar)
$41.14
Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions - The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture (Volume 6) (The Charles M. Russell Center Series on Art and Photography of the American West)
