HISTART 88 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Chavín De Huantar, Teotihuacan, Ethnography
Document Summary
Steps of a visual analysis: physical dimensions, materials. Distribution: articulation of materials, details/formal characteristics. Composition: style revealed in form and technique. How the olmec heads cannot be separated from their tradition and time whilst still existing in the modern world. How to bring an artifact (likely not considered as art in its own time) into a museum and present it as art. Main argument: melding the past and present to emphasize the technological and political wherewithal required to bring the two together. Ex: recreation of chavin de huantar labyrinth to rescue prisoners. Ex: finding teotihuacan figures in post-classic houses. Most non-western art has not been displayed in proper cultural context. Westerners devalue and aestheticize the objects by not being mindful of their original culture and use. Objects are often categorized as primitive a precursor to western influence. Necessary to consult the curatorial context of works. Artwork can achieve a new context in the manner that it is displayed.
