Clark Humanities Museum Archives | Page 3 of 5

February 20, 2014

Hand, Voice, & Vision: Artists’ Books from Women’s Studio Workshop

This traveling exhibition features 40 artists’ books from 36 influential, contemporary book artists, published between 1979 and 2009 by Women’s Studio Workshop. Additionally, a broader view of the more than 200 works completed during that period at the WSW is provided by a companion display of books held by the Ella Strong Denison Library that were not included in the original selection.

Courtesans and Court Ladies: Images of Women in Japanese Prints

Curated by students in the art history seminar “Japanese Prints,” this exhibition will explore how women have been represented in Japanese prints, with examples selected from the Scripps College Collections.

Stefan Zweig — An Austrian from Europe

The exhibit presents photographs, portraits, facsimiles of manuscripts and documents, including some recently discovered material of the prominent Jewish Austrian playwright, journalist, and biographer Stefan Zweig (1881-1942). A prolific writer in the 1920s and 1930s, Zweig fled Austria in 1934 after Hitler’s rise to power, lived first in England, and then, in 1940, moved to the United States. In 1941 he left for Brazil where he and his wife committed suicide in 1942 in Petropolis. After decades of silence, Stefan Zweig is now recognized as one of Salzburg’s “great sons.” Reflecting the latest developments in literary research, the aim of the exhibition is to present a portrait of Stefan Zweig’s life and work that includes bibliographical details and avoids nostalgic glorification. The exhibit will give the German program the opportunity to introduce an Austrian writer to our students and explore his biographical background in light of his philosophy and the political reality. A round table discussion with Klemens Renoldner, the Director of the Stefan Zweig Centre in Salzburg, and other experts in Austrian Literature is planned. The exhibit will be organized and sponsored by the City of Salzburg Culture Department and the Austrian Consulate General.

The Medieval Rôle in the Contemporary Artist Book

Because Denison Library and Honnold Library hold a remarkable collection of medieval manuscripts and incunables, finely printed books, and artist books, we can trace medieval attributes persisting in contemporary artist books. The selections for the exhibition of such books will be made by the students in the Core III course, “The Medieval RÃ´le in the Contemporary Artist Book.” The contemporary artist book utilizes structures and textual conventions based on medieval prototypes, but experiments with new ways of presenting contemporary issues. The medieval book established the canon for Humanist letterforms which led directly to modern Roman typefaces; the medieval layout of the page is the precursor of the modern grid system; authoritative texts were extensively dissected by use of glossing, highlighting the issues of the day. Conventional attitudes about the role and depictions of women in the medieval period will be examined. Particular attention will be paid to how contemporary artist books address and question these attitudes and what forms such books might utilize to make their point. The exhibit will be designed and installed by Professor Maryatt’s students. A catalog written and produced by the students will contain essays not only examining persistent medieval attributes but will critique the books, supported by their experiences in discussing the issues of the day in the Core Curriculum. A DVD showcasing the books in the exhibition will also be produced by the students. By the end of the semester, the students will create their own artist book, enriched by the knowledge they have gained over the semester. The opening reception for the exhibition will be coordinated with the Frederic W. Goudy Lecture sponsored by the Scripps College Press.

Unbound Passions: Japanese Prints of the Tale of Genji

For 1000 years the Tale of Genji has been a rich source for artistic representation, especially in Japanese woodblock prints. Students in the art history seminar ARHI 186C will stage an exhibition of Genji related materials from the Scripps College collections, exploring how the narrative elements and emotions are conveyed in visual forms.

Art Conservation: A New Major and the Future of the Past

This exhibition, inspired by the inaugural year of Scripps’ new Art Conservation major, looks at how art conservation and the related area of heritage science combine art, science and technology. The new Art Conservation major at Scripps is part of a larger trend of growing interest in interdisciplinary training. The exhibition, which demonstrates how art conservation develops cross-disciplinary research and decision-making skills, investigates such topics as replicas vs. forgeries; conservation of modern art in outdoor environments; and the analysis, ethics, and preservation of human remains in museums.

Women Over 25: Printing Letterpress for over a Quarter of a Century

The Scripps College Press is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its founding by the Class of 1941 this year and will host a number of events. In this exhibition, we honor women who have been printing by letterpress for at least 25 years and are still printing and/or teaching letterpress. Viewing books made as an artistic and/or literary endeavor is an excellent way to give students an overview of a contemporary woman’s point of view on a variety of themes and issues. The books will be selected by Professor Maryatt, aided by Librarian Judy Harvey Sahak, from the excellent artist book collection at Denison Library and Honnold Library. There will be a broad variety of books: many have been printed by traditional letterpress using metal type, but there will also be books which extend the range by using photopolymer plates and laser cutting, or even digital printing, as women experiment with ways to present their message. Current and former students in the Typography and the Book Arts class will particularly benefit by analyzing the myriad procedures and techniques on view. Core III students will be presented with a spendid selection of books for identifying attributes that persist from the medieval period. The opening reception for the exhibition will be coordinated with the Frederic W. Goudy Lecture sponsored by the Scripps College Press.

Stargazing and Sky Watching: Astronomy Through the Ages

People throughout history have looked to the sky for many reasons: to chart the heavens, to navigate the seas, to establish their place in the universe, even to predict the future. To read and interpret the heavens and divine our place within the universe fascinates us today more than ever. On view in this exhibition are rare items from Special Collections at Honnold/Mudd and Denison libraries and from the astronomy collections of Brackett Observatory at Pomona College about the history of astronomy. Historical books, maps and charts, illustrations, astronomical instruments, and artifacts, from 15th through the early 20th centuries, exemplify the wonder of new discoveries and the excitement of generations past. Significant figures in the history of European astronomy such as Ptolemy, Galileo, and Copernicus will be featured as well as examples of Latin American calendars and instruments used for teaching astronomy to college students.

The Artist Book as an Agent of Social Change

Denison Library holds a remarkable collection of medieval manuscripts and incunables, finely printed books, and artist books. In this exhibition, artist books from this collection which function as an agent of social change will be highlighted. The selections will be made by the members of the Core III course, “From Materiality to Immateriality: The Coming of the Artist Book.” The collection contains contemporary artist books which might advocate a change in policy, comment on an existing situation, critique social positions, or highlight injustices. Such books often express a personal point of view, or might present impersonal information which is meant to be subversive or illuminating. The fact that they are artist books means that they use the aesthetics of the book form to emphasize their point, utilizing not only text and visuals but layout, format and binding to communicate their position. This exhibition will reinforce the fact that there is a wide range of perspectives on any issue.

The Meiji Dilemma: Forward and Backward in Japanese Arts

With the rapid modernization of Japanese society during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) came the dilemma for artists of how to respond to their changing lives. The old patronage system was disappearing, and new clients were needed. What types of art would be appropriate, and how would they be made? As politics and economics evolved, what roles should artists play in the new Japan. What about the old Japan? This exhibition will explore these questions, and objects for display will be chosen and explained by students in the Art History Seminar 186C “Arts of Meiji Japan.”