Art(yup)i(mm)facts(eh).

If you can't tell, the parintheticals in the title are my responses to the syllables which correspond to different parts of this article. Don't get it? That's fine. I'm weird.

Today's article:

#27 -- Artifacts as Expressions of Society and Culture by Leone and Little

 This was not as clear for me as some other articles, but there were a few interesting things. It wasn't clear because I failed to truly see the connections they were trying to draw between the different artifacts they used as examples. I thought they brought up great points about Peale's innovation and how the influence of architecture is shown in the Maryland State House, but I kind of felt all over the place while reading this article. The authors made several claims and backed them up, but it was just a few too many claims for me without further explanation, considering the unsatisfactory concluding statements. I didn't feel like the tied all of their loose strings... because there were so many ways to read between the lines of their claims during the article. I didn't feel like they answered all of the questions they raised. But it could be a stylistic preference. I prefer more specificity... Since I have been writing (and reading other people's writing) a lot this semester I'm learning this about myself. So perhaps that's why sometimes these highly hypothetical articles sometimes take my brain on like 12 bunny trails and then I am lost at the end, trying to decide what the main point was.

Luckily, this article stated their points several times. In the conclusion they did so again (although my idea of what they were trying to say didn't quite line up...).
1) Native American claims to museum collections have drawn their foce from attempting to show the scientific worthlessness of the use of the remains.
2) Native Americans have claimed that some scientific practices and holdings of collections ciolate their First Amendment rights of freedom of religion.
3) Anglo-Americans have categorized Native Americans in a biased and stereotyped way, like associating them with birds and seashells.
4) A lot of random stuff about subversive geneology, requiring history to critique the present.
5) History within our society should be used to educate and to critique itself.

Maybe I missed the point, but this article didn't work for me.
Enjoyed the little tidbits of interesting subject matter though, I suppose, those bunny trails, even if they didn't end up at the same place.

I also enjoyed reading more about Peale and the innovations of his Natural History Museum, since I wrote my paper last semester in American Art about The Artist in His Museum.
Although the claims about Peale in this article were I think a bit more hypothetical and meant to raise questions than I expected, it was interesting to compare my pre-existing knowledge of the work and Peale's life.

:)

All that symbolism. Mmmmm mmm. Please talk to me about the emblems in this painting anyday, I'd rather discuss that. Haha. I guesssss it's also important to talk about Peale's innovation of explaining natural development to the public, whatever. ;)

Also I liked the discussion of the creation myths... this innate awareness of the human condition and trying to make sense of it. I suppose this could be tied in to out presentation of history and how it has to critique itself, but I still didn't quite like the way it was done.

Overall I was surprised how much I did not like this article. It's fine though, what can you do? Be a better writer yourself? Get used to art historian style? Maybe I'm being ignorant about this article? (highly possible.) Haha.

Well, til tomorrow!

p.s. I'm submitting this at 3:20 because my hour break earlier in the day was free and I could read during that time. So I'm ahead of the game today, who knew that would happen? It's been strange to try and fit Museum Studies into my 2-5 time block. Dr. K you mentioned trying to find a time when you can work most efficiently, and it's weird but I picked a time when I cannot focus for the life of me. It just so happens that it's really the only consistent free time I have, but other "more pressing" things always seem to pop up. So easily distracted and/or sleepy between the hours of 2 and 5. I've really had to fight to stay consistent in any way shape or form. In some cases the things that have come up really were more important, so I had to give them precendent and just get my Museum stuff done later. I have been pretty good about getting content on this site regularly, but here it is for the record: I'm still struggling through what it looks like to do an independent study. Learning learning learning. It's good for me.