Contemporary Curation
Modern art galleries and museums have always wanted to tell a story in the usual fashion of linear history. So as a rule rooms in galleries tended to be set out in historical periods or particular styles. The contemporary curator however eschews all that, throws everything into the mix and allows the viewer to piece together their own story.
Now this is all very well for the informed art lover, but can be very confusing to those who have never studied art history. It's a sink or swim model, and the jury is still out on whether this approach is going to be successful.
This section of the QVMAG was recently renovated to allow for more works to be shown from the very large collection that Launceston has built up over 200 years (the settlement itself was founded in 1806). One problem for photographers is that the light intensity has been reduced to 40 lumens per square metre (for example a 60 watt light bulb provides 800 lumens per square metre). This is so the works are not damaged by excess light. But it does make getting good photographs of the works very difficult indeed. This photograph, for instance, appears much brighter than the lighting actually was.
Contemporary Curation
Modern art galleries and museums have always wanted to tell a story in the usual fashion of linear history. So as a rule rooms in galleries tended to be set out in historical periods or particular styles. The contemporary curator however eschews all that, throws everything into the mix and allows the viewer to piece together their own story.
Now this is all very well for the informed art lover, but can be very confusing to those who have never studied art history. It's a sink or swim model, and the jury is still out on whether this approach is going to be successful.
This section of the QVMAG was recently renovated to allow for more works to be shown from the very large collection that Launceston has built up over 200 years (the settlement itself was founded in 1806). One problem for photographers is that the light intensity has been reduced to 40 lumens per square metre (for example a 60 watt light bulb provides 800 lumens per square metre). This is so the works are not damaged by excess light. But it does make getting good photographs of the works very difficult indeed. This photograph, for instance, appears much brighter than the lighting actually was.