Used very good.
Contemporary Cultures of Dsplay is the last of six books in the series Art and its Histories,
which form the main texts of an Open University course. The course has been designed for
students who are new to the discipline but will also appeal to those who have undertaken
some study in this area. Each multi-authored book engages with a theme of interest to current
art-historical study, and is self-sufficient and accessible to the general reader. This volume
explores some of the ways in which contemporary understanding of art and its histories is
constructed and informed by public display in museums, galleries and other contexts. Among
other issues, it considers the claim that the display of art is dominated today by a
commercialized culture of 'spectacle.
The book takes the form of a series of case studies and is structured in three parts. The first
part examines art's traditional sanctum, the museum, considering such issues as changing
approaches to display in modern art museums and the ways in which museums have sought
to make themselves acessible to new audiences. Examples incude both recently founded
museums (such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris) and older institutions (such as the National
Gallery in London)
The second part focuses on temporary exhibitions, considering their implications not only
for artists and spectators but also for the institutions that stage them. The case studies address
ehibitions of contemporary art, the phenomenon of the blockbuster' show, and recent
developmnents in the display of African art.
The third part looks at the wider social context in which art is displayed today. The case
studies consider the role of modern art museums in 'urban regeneration' projects and the
place of heritage' in Britain, with special reference to the country house. The book concudes
with an exploration of art and its institutions in contemporary lreland.
Emma Barker and Nick Webb are members of the Art History Department at the Open
University. Fionna Barber is Senior Lecturer in Art History at Manchester Metropolitan
University. Elsbeth Court is Lecturer in African Art at the School of Oriental and African
Studies, University of London. Christoph Grunenberg is Curator at the Institute of
Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts. Sandy Naime is Director of National Programmes
at the Tate Gallery, London. Anabel Thomas is Lecturer in the History of Art at Birkbeck
College, University of London.